


Twenty Seconds Till Midnight

by Kioku7



Category: Doctor Who, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, I'm Serious, M/M, Series Spoilers, but it should be fine, for like the entirety of merlin, spoilers for the episode as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-23 13:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2549837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kioku7/pseuds/Kioku7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Will you?” Jethro’s head slightly tilted in his direction, indicating he was listening, so the Doctor continued. “Forget them, that is.” At this, Jethro met the Doctor’s eyes with an intensity that made the time-lord shudder.</p>
<p>“Never in a million years.” </p>
<p>In which Jethro Cane is not all that he seems to be, and the Doctor is practically obvious to the fact.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twenty Seconds Till Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, this is the Midnight episode, but with Jethro really being Merlin (which has been done before, I know). This is all written mostly from the Doctor's perspective. This hasn't been beta read either, so please let me know if there are any mistakes! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> ALSO WARNING: There is a point in the story where the Doctor starts to have a panic attack, so if that sort of thing triggers you, please be careful.

“That's the headphones for channels one to thirty-six, modem link for 3D vid-games, complimentary earplugs, complimentary slippers, complimentary juice-pack, and complimentary peanuts. I must warn you; some products may contain nuts.” The hostess warned the Doctor as she handed him the company’s standard complimentary goods.

“That would be the peanuts.” The Doctor said lightly in reply, barely able to conceal a smile. The professionally dressed hostess gave him a frosty smile in return.

“Enjoy your trip.” She said in a clipped tone before beginning to move on to the other customers.

“Oh, I can’t wait. Allonsy!” The Doctor grinned despite himself. The dark-skinned hostess turned back to him.

“I’m sorry?” She asked with a polite smile.

“It’s French, for let’s go.” The Doctor replied lightly again.

“Fascinating.” She replied with a tight smile before continuing on her way. The Doctor faced forward, thinking something along the lines of well-that-could-have-gone-better, before he heard the people that had sat behind him.

“Headphones for channels one to-”

“Oh, no thank you, not for us.” An older man told the hostess kindly, taking his seat by the window.

“Ear plugs, please.” The girl with him, no older than twenty, requested with a smile. The hostess handed them over, and the girl nodded her thanks with another kind smile. The Doctor looked over the top of his chair behind him to get a better look at the two.

“They call it a Sapphire Waterfall, it's no such thing. Sapphire's an aluminum oxide, but the glacier's just a compound silica with iron pigmentation- have you got that pillow for my neck?” The man, a sophisticated air around him, asked the girl.

“Yes sir.” The girl replied, going through the shoulder bag she had brought with them.

“And my pills?”

“All measured out, there you go.” It was then that the man took notice of the Doctor. He leaned forward in his chair with a grin, and the Doctor smiled pleasantly back at him.

“Hobbes. Professor Winfold Hobbes.” The man introduced himself to the Doctor, sticking out a hand to shake.

“I’m the Doctor, hello!” The time-lord smiled brightly, taking the man’s hand.

“It’s my fourteenth time.” Professor Hobbes informed the Doctor through wide specked glasses.

“Oh! It’s my first.” The time-lord replied.

“And I’m Deedee, Deedee Blasco.” The girl grinned at the time-lord, shaking his hand as well. The Professor looked vaguely annoyed at her behavior.

“Don’t bother the man!” He scolded the girl and they settled back into their own seats. “Now where’s my water bottle?” The Doctor caught the eye of the blonde woman he saw board the crusader earlier with the hostess and smiled at her with a slight nod. The corners of her mouth twitched before she returned to the book in her lap.

“Now don't be silly, come and sit with us. Look! We get slippers!” The Gallifreyan man heard from further down the cabin. He glanced behind him again to see who else had joined their trip. The only people left were a couple in their forties and a young boy, sitting by himself away from the couple, curled up in his seat. Although he spotted no resemblance, the Doctor could tell the couple was the boy’s parents just from the tone the mother had used.

“Jethro, do what your mother says.” The father commanded, confirming the Doctor’s suspicions on their relation.

“I’m sitting here.” The boy, Jethro, was quick to retort, irritated. The father rolled his eyes.

“Oh, he’s ashamed of us, but he doesn’t mind us paying, does he?” The father sighed, looking to his wife. Jethro shot him an icy look.

“Oh, don’t you two start.  Should I save the juice-pack or have it now? Look, it's peach and clementine!”

“Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, welcome on board the Crusader Fifty. If you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment.” The hostess informed them all, making her way back up the cabin and checking her watch. Everyone fumbled with their seat belts and quickly did as they were told. “Doors!” The entrance doors slammed shut accordingly. “Shields down.” Metal shuttered descended on all of the windows, making it impossible to see outside. “I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the Waterfall Palace. Also, a reminder: Midnight has no air, so please don’t touch the exterior door seals. The fire exit is at the rear, and should we ever need to use It, you first.” The hostess explained, laughing slightly as it was some sort of inside joke. She checked her wrist-watch again. “Now, I'll hand you over to Driver Joe.” A small beeping noise notified the passengers that the intercom system had come on.

“Driver Joe at the wheel,” Driver Joe greeted them cheerfully. “There's been a diamond-fall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map.” The screens at the front of the cabin switched over to a digital map of their passage. A blue dotted line showed them the original passage route, and the orange dotted line appeared soon after, showing their improvised trail. “The journey covers 500 kliks to the Multifaceted Coast; duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for travelling with us, and as they used to say in the olden days, ‘Wagons roll’!” With that, their little cabin began to shake and rumble, signaling the crusader’s departure.

“For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retro-vids of Earth Classics-” The hostess began again, grabbing up everyone’s attention by pressing a button on her remote, making small screen flip out from above them. A blonde woman filled the picture, singing at a concert, and music started blaring out of the speakers. “Also, we have the latest artistic instillations from Ludovic Klein-” With another press of a button, the projectors blinded them all with yellow light. Upon further inspection, the yellow light was filled with several multi-colored smaller dots in it, what was supposedly an artistic masterpiece. “Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat from the Animation Archives-” The hostess pulled down a screen from behind her and another projector filled it with black and white cartoons, adding its own soundtrack to the mess. “Four hours of fun time.” She smiled back at everyone- though it really wasn’t. “Enjoy.” With that, she made her way to the back of the cabin and took a seat calmly.

The Doctor glanced around the cabin, disturbed at the cacophony of sound that was somehow described as ‘fun time’. The blonde woman from earlier looked more than a little irritated and rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Behind him, Deedee passed the Professor ear plugs before slipping on headphones herself. The married couple in the back seemed to be the only ones really enjoying the entertainment, as they were the only ones smiling and paying attention. Their son curled into himself further and sunk down into his seat with a grimace. The Doctor frowned in sympathy. To be honest, all of the noise and the lights were giving him a headache.

And he can’t be clever when he’s got a headache.

Well, he could- he’s always clever- but then he’d be _irritably_ clever, and that’s not nearly as fun.

So, with a quick whirring of his trusty sonic screwdriver, the light show and blaring noises stopped abruptly.

“Well, that’s a mercy!” The Professor sighed in relief, popping his ear plugs back out of his ears.

“I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon.” The hostess said with a tight voice, quickly making her way back up the cabin while clicking buttons on the remote frantically. The blonde woman gave the Doctor an appreciative quirk of her lips, catching onto what he had done, before returning to her reading undisturbed. “We seem to have a failure of the entertainment system.”

“Oh.” The Doctor drawled out in an innocent tone, but those who listened closely enough could hear he was just a little too smug.

“But what do we do?” The woman in the back asked loudly.

“We’ve got four hours of this? Four hours of just sitting here?” Her husband added, already frowning. The Doctor turned around and leaned over the back of his seat so he was able to see everyone easily.

“Well, tell you what,” He began, “We’re going to have to talk to each other instead.” The Professor and Deedee shared a hesitant and disbelieving look with each other. The woman in the back looked away uneasily and her husband leveled the Doctor with a blank stare. The blonde woman didn’t even look up from her book. All of these responses were discouraging, but the Doctor did notice a raven haired head pop up from behind the seats in curiosity, and that only motivated him to keep going. He grinned at the teenager, who gazed back at him with inquiring blue eyes for a moment before ducking his head down again.

Oh, this was going to be exciting.

_\---98 Kliks---_

“So Biff said, ‘I’m going swimming’!” The married woman, Mrs. Val Cane, continued. Everyone except the reading woman and the boy had gathered closer to the couple. The Doctor sat in the row in front of them, turned around and leaning over the back of his seat again. Deedee and the Professor took a row each, sitting in the closest chair to the aisle and facing the story-tellers, paying full attention and grinning.

“Oh, I was all ready, trunks and everything! Nose plug!” Her husband, Mr. Biff Cane, added in, laughing to himself at the fond memory.

“He had this little nose plug, you should've seen him-”

“I went marching up to the lifeguard, and he was a Shamboni, you know, those big foreheads?”

“-Great big forehead!” The couple kept interrupting each other and adding in their own commentary about the story, giggling along the way like children, but they seemed happy and not at all bothered.

“-And I said, ‘Where's the pool?’ And he said-”

“The pool is abstract!” The couple chorused together in a peal of laughter. The Doctor grinned at their enthusiasm while the Professor and Deedee laughed along with them, the Professor even clapping his hands together in a fit.

“It wasn't a real pool!”

“It was a concept!”

“It wasn't real!”

“And you had a nose plug?” The Doctor asked with a wide smile, proving to them that he was indeed paying attention and fairly amused.

“Oh, I was like this!” Biff said through his laughter before clamping his fingers over his nose and nasally mumbling dialogue from the story, which only elicited another round of loud hooting from almost everyone in the cabin.

_\---150 Kliks---_

“I'm just a second-year student, but I wrote a paper on the Lost Moon of Poosh.” Deedee explained while pouring the Doctor a couple of coffee and passing it over to him. They were currently in the back of the cabin, speaking quietly with each other to not disturb any of the other passengers. “Professor Hobbes read it, and he liked it, so he took me on as a researcher- just for the holidays. Well, I say researcher; most of the time he's got me fetching and carrying. But it's all good experience!” Deedee defended while preparing her own cup of coffee.

“And did they ever find it?” The Doctor asked curiously.

“Find what?”

“The Lost Moon of Poosh.”

“Oh, no, not yet.” Deedee giggled in amusement.

“Well, maybe that’ll be your great discovery, one day.” The Doctor said before raising his cup in cheers. “Here’s to Poosh!”

“Poosh.” Deedee grinned, clacking her plastic cup with his before they both took a large gulp of their drinks.

_\---209 Kliks---_

“No, no, I’m with this friend of mine, Donna. She stayed behind at the Leisure Palace. You?” The Doctor asked the blonde woman, who he learned was Mrs. Silvestry, next to him as he finally got her to open up a little. He sat next to her as they ate their served meals.

“No. It’s just me.” Mrs. Silvestry replied while unwrapping her eating utensils, though there was no ill-will behind it.

“Oh, I've done plenty of that, travelling on my own. I love it. Do what you want, go anywhere.” The Doctor replied, though he wasn’t really sure he was being one-hundred percent honest with himself.

“I'm still getting used to it.” Mrs. Silvestry almost sighed before turning to him. “I’ve found myself single, rather recently. Not by choice.”

“What happened?”

“Oh, the usual. She needed her own space, as they say. A different galaxy, in fact. I reckon that's enough space, don't you?”

“Yeah.” The Doctor almost sighed, like she had earlier. “I had a friend who went to a different universe.” He added lowly, not quite swallowing his food easily when reminded of the fact. Mrs. Silvestry caught on pretty quickly and changed the subject, something the Doctor was quite grateful for.

“Well, what’s this? Chicken or beef?” She asked as she took off the top of her food tray. The Doctor stabbed a piece of meat, bringing it closer to his eyes to inspect it thoroughly.

“I think it’s both.” He deduced, turning it this way and that. Mrs. Silvestry examined it as well, intrigued with his theory.

_\---232 Kliks---_

“I don’t think we’ve actually met, yet.” The Doctor said as he plopped down into the seat next to the isolated teenager. The boy himself turned his head, giving the time-lord both a wary and ever-so-curious look. “Hello, I’m the Doctor.”

“Jethro.” The boy replied quietly after a moment. The Doctor grinned at him.

“Nice to meet you, Jethro.”

“Nice to meet you too, Doctor.” A moment passed by in silence. The time-lord turned his head to see Val and Biff were telling another story, making Deedee and the Professor laugh hysterically again.

“So, what’s your story, Jethro?” He asked, turning back to the teen, who met his gaze with questioning eyes. “Why haven’t you mingled with the others?” He tilted his head towards the boy’s parents.

“I’ve heard that tale about a hundred times.” Jethro sighed, rolling his eyes after catching a snippet of the group’s conversation. “I’d rather not hear it again and make it one-hundred and one.” The Doctor leveled him with an assessing look.

“And that’s the reason you’re so glum?”

“Glum?” Jethro echoed, an amused quirk to his lips.

“Yes, glum- gloomy, blue, morose, sad- whatever you want to call it.” The time-lord waved his hand around as he listed synonyms for the word, only further amusing the teenager. “The point is, you’re glum, and don’t try to tell me you’re not. I’m a doctor- I know these things.” He warned, pointing a finger at the boy.

“I suppose you do.” Jethro grinned at him for a moment before sobering and sighing, his whole body sagging with the breath. “It’s kind of an anniversary for me, today.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’m just… missing someone, is all.”

“Missing someone?” The Doctor echoed, half curious and half sympathetic. He could understand that feeling well.

“Oh, don’t pay any mind to it, Doctor,” Val said suddenly, having caught part of their conversation, “He’s probably just broken up with someone. You know how it is; children are always thinking they’re in love or what not. Give it a couple of days and he’ll forget all about them, I assure you.” She smiled at him confidently before going back to interrupting her husband at regular intervals. The Doctor frowned at her and turned back to Jethro, who was facing forward with a carefully blank face. The Doctor’s frown deepened further when he glanced down and saw Jethro was gripping the arm rests until his knuckles turned white.

“Will you?” Jethro’s head slightly tilted in his direction, indicating he was listening, so the Doctor continued. “Forget them, that is.” At this, Jethro met the Doctor’s eyes with an intensity that made the time-lord shudder.

“Never in a million years.”

He didn’t let it show, but the Doctor was taken aback with surprise. Jethro was just a boy, appearing only a day over eight-teen, but he spoke with such promise- such _conviction_ that-

“I believe you.” The Doctor replied solemnly before he even knew what he was saying.

And if that wasn’t the most blinding smile he received in response, he didn’t know what was.

_\---251 Kliks---_

“So this is Midnight, d'you see? Bombarded by the sun! X-tonic rays, raw Galvanic Radiation- Deedee, next slide!” The professor commanded, engrossed in his lecture. Deedee dutifully switched the slides out quickly, working with an old-fashioned projector.

They had used the pull-down screen in the front to show everyone the Professor’s work. They all seemed to be enjoying the presentation somewhat. Val and Biff had moved closer to the front and absorbed all of the information like eager students. Jethro was also loving it, leaning heavily over the seat in front of him to get a better look. The Doctor smiled to himself at that. It seemed after their small talk, Jethro had started interacting a little bit more- mostly with the Doctor himself, but still- he counted that as a victory. Mrs. Silvestry was still reading, but the Doctor caught her glances up to the screen every minute or two in interest. Even the hostess seemed intrigued, coming a little closer to the front to listen.

“It’s my pet project. Actually, I’m the first person to research this, because you see...” Here, the Professor trailed off, sitting down in the closest seat to him, voice lowering like what he was about to say was a secret. “The history is fascinating because there _is no_ history. There's no life in this entire system, there couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no one had come here, in all eternity. No living thing...” The Professor trailed again, giving each of them a significant look.

“But, how do you know?” Jethro spoke up, almost skeptical. “I mean, if no one can go outside.”

“Oh, his imagination, here we go.” Val sighed, rolling her eyes.

“He’s got a point, though.” The Doctor defended quickly, already seeing Jethro tense up in irritation. The boy sent him a small grateful smile that was gone in the next blink of an eye.

“Exactly! We look upon this world through glass, safe inside our metal box. Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. But here we are, crossing Midnight, but never touching it.” The Professor continued excitedly, happy that someone had brought the point up.

It was at that moment in time the familiar rumbling they had all gotten used to ceased.

“We’ve stopped.” Val blinked as various beeping noises went off in the background. “Have we stopped?” Everyone looked about the cabin in confusion.

“Are we there?” Biff asked, wary.

“Can’t be, it’s too soon.” Deedee answered him while frowning, puzzled.

“They don't stop, Crusader vehicles never stop.” The Professor said, concern seeping into his tone.

“If you could just return to your seats; it's just a small delay.” The hostess reassured them, quickly going over to the phone in the back of the cabin. Everyone stayed where they were for another moment before warily sitting down.

“Maybe it’s just a pit stop.” Biff suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

“But there's no pit to stop in. I've been on this expedition fourteen times- they never stop.” The Professor informed them with a deep frown etched on his face.

“Well evidently, we have stopped, so there’s no point of denying it.” Mrs. Silvestry said sharply, glaring at the Professor.

“We’ve broken down.” Jethro laughed, arms still hanging over the back of the seat in front of him, not worried in the slightest.

“Thanks, Jethro.” Val said, annoyed at his behavior.

“In the middle of nowhere.” Jethro added with a funny face.

“That’s enough, now stop it.” Biff reminded sternly. Jethro pursed his lips, but with a quick glance around the room, saw that his goal of lightening the mood wasn’t accomplished and sat back with a light frown.

“Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, we're just experiencing a short delay. The driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds. It's perfectly routine. If you could just stay in your seats.” The hostess announced, going to stand in the front of the cabin where everyone could see her. The Doctor narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion before getting up and starting towards the door that led to the driver. “No, I'm sorry sir, if you could sit down-” The Doctor flipped out his psychic paper quickly, showing it to the hostess.

“There you go,” He said while pressing the button to open the doors. “Engine expert.”

“Sorry sir, if you could just return to your seat-” The Doctor ignored the hostess as he stepped through the threshold. “You’re not supposed to be in-” Her words were cut off as the door slid shut behind him.

“Sorry, if you could just return to your seat, sir-” The familiar voice of Driver Joe started to tell him, but the time-lord flashed the psychic paper at him as well.

“Company Insurance, let's see if we can get an early assessment.” The Doctor said quickly for formality as he settled between the driver and the person beside him. “So, what's the problem, Driver Joe?”

“We're just stabilizing the engine feeds, won't take long.” Driver Joe replied, hands hovering over the crusader’s controls. The Doctor glanced over at a screen on the side of the cockpit before frowning.

“Um, no, cause ... that's the engine feed, that right there,” The Doctor pointed to the screen. “And it's fine, and it's a micro-petrol engine, so 'stabilizing' doesn't really make sense, does it? Sorry! I'm the Doctor, I'm very clever. So, what's wrong?”

“We just stopped. Look, everything's working, all systems fine, but we're not moving.” The driver’s companion told him. The Doctor scanned the controls quickly with his sonic, and he confirmed what the other man had just said.

“You're right. No faults. And who are you?” The Doctor asked curiously.

“Claude, I'm the mechanic. Trainee.” Claude replied with a slight smile.

“Nice to meet you.” The Doctor nodded, sweeping his eyes over the controls again.

“I've sent a distress signal; they'll dispatch a rescue truck, top speed.” Driver Joe informed the two of them, flicking a switch to his right.

“How long till they get here?” The time-lord inquired.

“About an hour.” Driver Joe replied in confidence.

“Well. Since we're waiting...” The Doctor trailed innocently, curiosity already getting the best of him. “Shall we take a look outside? Just... lift the screens a bit?”

“It's one-hundred X-tonic out there, we'd be vaporized.” Driver Joe warned.

“Nah, those windows are Finitoglass, they'd give you a couple of minutes. Go on. Live a little!” The time-lord grinned at the both of them. Driver Joe smiled hesitantly back before his hands traveled over to the appropriate button and pressed it. The front shields followed his command only a moment later, and after adjusting to the light, the three of them gazed at the shining diamond landforms, squared off by sharp ridges.

“Wow.” Driver Joe breathed, marveled at the sight.

“Oh, that is beautiful.” The Doctor smiled in wonder.

“Look at all of those diamonds. Poisoned by the sun, no one can ever touch them.” Claude remarked quietly, amazed.

“Joe, you said we took a detour.” It was more of a statement the Doctor asked, but Driver Joe replied, none the less.

“Just about 40 kliks to the West.”

“Is that a recognized path?”

“No, it’s a new one. The computer worked it out on automatic.”

“So we're the first…” The Doctor trailed, entranced. “This piece of ground, no one's ever been here before, not in the whole of recorded history.” But suddenly Claude started, alert, and pointed out into the land.

“Did you just-” But Claude cut himself off unsurely.

“What?”

“No, sorry, nothing.” Claude shook his head, putting his hand down.

“What did you see?” The Doctor asked again.

“Just there, on that ridge,” Claude said, pointing out again. “Like… like a shadow, just- just for a second.”

“What sort of shadow?” The Doctor asked, half-alarmed, but before Claude could explain, the cockpit began to beep loudly.

“X-tonic’s rising,” Driver Joe told them, flipping another switch. “Shield’s down.” As the metal plates began to lower once more, Claude shot up again.

“Look, look, there it is- there it is! Look there!”

“Where?” The Doctor tried to follow Claude finger to the landscape, but before he could really _look_ , the shields closed down on the window, blocking their sight. “What was it?”

“Like something- _shifting!_ Something sort of dark, like it was- running.” Claude tried to explain to the both of them.

“Running which way?” The Doctor almost whispered.

“Towards us.” Claude replied, almost fearfully.

“Alright, Doctor, back to your seat, and uh- not a word.” Driver Joe commanded, shaken. “Rescue’s on its way. If you could close the door, thank you.” The Doctor backed away slowly before returning to the main cabin, closing the door behind him, where he was immediately bombarded with questions from Mrs. Silvestry, who was apparently waiting for him to come out by the door.

“What did they say? Did they tell you? What is it? What’s wrong?” She asked in the same breath. The Doctor smiled back at her comfortingly.

“Oh, just stabilizing, happens all the time.”

“I don't need this. I'm on a schedule. This is completely unnecessary!” Mrs. Silvestry said with a harsh tone. The hostess pushed passed them politely.

“Back to your seats, thank you.” She ordered with a tight smile before pushing the button to open the cockpit door with a little more force than necessary and strode in. The door sliding into place behind her blocked her from the sight of the other passengers. Without another word exchanged between the two, the Doctor and Mrs. Silvestry sat down in their original seats. Deedee leaned forward and tapped the Doctor’s shoulder a moment later.

“Excuse me, Doctor,” Deedee asked, catching both his attention and the Professor’s. The time-lord swiveled around to face her. “But they’re Micro-petrol engines, aren’t they?”

“Now, don’t bother the man.” The Professor scolded lowly.

“My father was a mechanic.” Deedee told him before turning back to the Doctor. “Micro-petrol doesn’t stabilize. What does ‘stabilize’ mean?” From his periphery vision, the time-lord spotted a familiar dark head pop up from the back in curiosity, having overheard.

“Well, bit of flim-flam. Don't worry, they're sorting it out.” The Doctor excused easily, trying to put whoever else could hear them in the cabin at ease. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be working.

“So it’s not the engines, then?” The Professor asked worriedly, standing up in his row to look over the luxury chair and at the Doctor.

“Just a little pause, that's all.” The time-lord assured, starting to feel the tension in the room rise.

“How much air have we got?” The Professor asked, making everything worse.

“Professor, it's fine-” The Doctor tried to assure again quickly before things got out of hand, but it was too late; the others had heard what the old man had said.

“What did he say?” Val asked loudly from across the cabin, an edge of panic seeping into her tone.

“Nothing!” The time-lord shook his head, but he could see that things were already unraveling.

“A-are we running out of air?” She asked hesitantly again, almost afraid of the answer. The cockpit door slid open once more and the hostess stepped out with a smile, though it gave way to a disturbed expression when she heard Mrs. Cane’s question.

“I was just speculating-” The Professor tried to explain, but Biff cut in anxiously, attention directed at the hostess.

“Is that right, Miss? Are we running out of air?”

“Is that what the Captain said?” Mrs. Silvestry spoke up, tone apprehensive.

“If you could all just remain calm-” The hostess tried to ease everyone, but was interrupted again.

“How much air have we got?” Val asked, on the verge of panic.

“I can assure you, everything is under control-” But then she was cut off by a whole hoard of voices, all speaking at once, the hysteria in the room rising.

“Doesn't look like it to me! I'm entitled to ask!”

“Well he said it, and he's a Professor!”

“Are we or are we not running out of air?!”

“He should know!”

“Mrs. Cane, I'm not an expert in mechanics,”

“Shh shh shh shh, everyone,” The Doctor tried to get everyone’s attention, even standing up, but no one listened to him.

“I want to see the Driver!”

“It's a circular filter,”

“He started it!”

“Shh shh shh shh,” The Doctor tried shushing them again, but like last time, no one cared, swept away by the frenzy. The only silent ones in the room were the hostess and Jethro, something that the Doctor felt a twinge of gratitude for, but only a twinge.

 “It was just idle speculation-”

 “It's fine,”

“Hostess!”

“Just read the manual-”

“I demand to see the Driver-”

“ _QUIET!”_ The time-lord roared over the rumble of voices. Everything fell silent at once, and the Doctor took a breath, letting things settle. He briefly exchanged gazes with a wide-eyed Jethro, both of them surprised and somewhat fearful of how fast things had gotten out of hand. “Thank you. Now, if you'd care to listen to my good friend Deedee...” The Doctor sank back into his seat slowly to make himself seem unthreatening to the others, jerking his head at the girl in a gesture for her to get up and repeat what he had heard her say throughout the chaos. She rose to her feet hesitantly.

“Oh, um, It's just that... the air's on a circular filter, so we could stay breathing for ten years.” She told them all quietly before sitting back down.

“There you go,” The Doctor nodded, “And I’ve spoken to the captain, I can _guarantee you,_ everything’s fine.” He said earnestly.

It seems fate was waiting for those words as its cue, because no later than they came out of his mouth-

_Tap tap_

Everyone’s head swiveled over towards the direction of the noise warily, eyes darting on the cabin’s metal wall as if it held the answer.

“What was that?” Val asked when there wasn’t any explanation they could see.

“It must be the metal,” The Professor excused easily, “We’re cooling down; it’s just settling.”

“Rocks- it could be rocks falling.” Deedee added while nodding.

“What I want to know is how long we have to sit here-” Biff was interrupted again, something that was becoming common for this trip.

_Tap tap_

This time it was a bit louder, making everyone in the cabin tense. Jethro, who was sitting closest to the point of the sound’s origin, started in surprise, cautious. 

“What is that?” Mrs. Silvestry questioned, a confused scowl on her face.  

“Is someone out there?” Val asked, her eyebrows scrunching together.

“Now, don't be ridiculous.” The Professor scoffed.

“Like I said, it could be rocks.” Deedee agreed.

“We're out in the open; nothing could fall against the side.” The hostess told them with a shaky, fearful smile, trying to keep a professional and friendly air, but to no avail.

_Tap tap_

The volume didn’t change this time, but the noise still made most of the cabin jump and gasp in fright.

“Knock knock.” The Doctor said in a sort of clear daze, fascinated with the events occurring. It seemed as if he wasn’t the only one.

“Who’s there?” Jethro said, tone almost mirroring the Doctor’s. The time-lord grinned; he knew there was a reason he liked the boy so much. There was a silence as they waited for some sort of response.

“Is there something out there?” Mrs. Silvestry asked slowly, but after seeing that no one was going to answer her, her voice grew panicked once again. “Well? Anyone?”

_Tap tap_

Most gasped and jumped up again.

“What the hell is making that noise?!” Mrs. Silvestry snapped at everyone.

“I'm sorry, but the light out there is X-tonic, that means it would destroy any living thing in a split-second. It's impossible for someone to be outside.” The Professor explained, which eased the tension in the cabin a little bit. During his explanation, the Doctor made his way over to where it sounded like the noise was coming from.  There was silence as he looked around, trying to find the source, and then-

_Tap tap_

Even louder than before, the noise had even moved a few feet towards the back of the cabin, making everyone jump in fright once more. Jethro jumped up and backed out into the aisle, seeing as the noise was now in his corner of the cabin. The Doctor slipped past him, pulling out his stethoscope and leaning on the metal wall.

“Sir, you really should get back to your _seat!”_ The hostess said sharply, so it came out more as a command. The time-lord ignored her and pressed the device to the wall, listening carefully. Everyone waited with a baited breath.

“Hello?” The Doctor practically whispered, barely able to hear himself.

_Tap tap_

The noise was emanating from the back wall of the cabin this time, towards the fire exit, the knocks coming in a more impatient fashion.

“It’s moving.” Jethro observed in the scared silence. The Doctor shoved his stethoscope out of his ears and away as he approached the back area of the cabin with wide, searching eyes.

Suddenly, the emergency door began to rattle.

“It’s trying the door!” Val gasped, pointing an accusing finger at the metal.

“There is no _it;_ there’s nothing out there! Can’t be!” The Professor tried to assure her.

The door rattled again before a latching sound was heard.

And then it was heard again,

And again.

_Tap tap_

Everyone jumped when the two harsh knocks sounded out above their heads, in the middle of the ceiling. Their heads snapped up, but they couldn’t see anything. They waited in silence once more, minds racing with possibilities.

_Tap tap_

This time, the knocks came from the entrance door. The passengers backed away from it quickly.

“Th-that’s the entrance- can it get in?” Val asked shakily, pointing to the door again.

“No, that door’s on two-hundred weight hydraulics.” Deedee told her confidently.

“Stop it- don’t encourage them!” The Professor hissed down at her.

“What do _you_ think it is?” Deedee rounded on him. Biff approached the door, pressing both of his hands flat against it, as if he were testing its strength.

“Biff, don’t!”

“Mr. Cane, better not.” The Doctor agreed with Mrs. Cane, stretching a hand out towards him.

“Nah, it’s cast iron, that door.” Biff nodded to himself before knocking on the metal three times, trying to show everyone how sturdy it was. He took a step or two away from it, and almost immediately-

_Tap tap tap_

The passengers of the crusader started and gasped again.

“Three times. Did you hear that? It did it three times.” Val was shaking slightly.

“It answered.” Jethro deduced quietly.

“It did it three times!”

“Alright, alright, everyone calm down.” The Doctor moved to stand in front of the door, turning to the crowd with his hands held up in an appeasing gesture.

“B-but it answered. It answered! Don’t tell me that thing’s not alive- it answered him!” Mrs. Silvestry was shaking as well, beginning to lose it.

_Tap tap tap_

It elicited startled shouts from a few of them this time. The time-lord turned back to the door, getting closer, but the hostess pushed passed the people she was behind to stand in the center of their group.

“I must _insist_ you get back to your seats-” Her anxious command was cut off by Mrs. Silvestry’s scathing voice.

“Don't just sit there telling us the rules! You're the hostess- you're supposed to do something!” The hostess jumped at the snap, but before she could respond, the Doctor knocked on the door four times, ear pressed against it. They waited for a long moment, and just when it seemed as if they weren’t going to get a response-

_Tap tap tap tap_

“What is it? What is it? What the hell is making that noise?? She said she'd get me, just stop it, make it stop, someone _make it stop_!” Mrs. Silvestry wailed, sending the hostess flying over to the phone in response. Mrs. Silvestry’s hysteria only spurred on everyone else’s again, making the voices go off at the same time once more.

“Driver Joe, passenger in distress-”

“What are you looking at me for? It's not my fault, he started it-”

“You're not helping!”

“-With his stories-”

“Mrs. Silvestry, just calm down...”

“-And he made it worse-”

“Are you getting these noises from outside?”

“Why couldn't you leave it alone?”

“Tell her to shut up!”

“Shh shh shh-”

“Stop staring at me!”

“Mrs. Silvestry,”

 “Just tell me what it is-”

“Shh shh-”

“Tell her to stop!”

“What is it?”

“ _Calm down!”_

“What's out there?!”

_Bang_

It had moved back to the ceiling after seeing the door was no use, effectively cutting down the blare of voices again.

_Bang_

_Bang_

_Bang_

It was almost constant now, moving away from the group, towards the front of the cabin, where Mrs. Silvestry was backing away to.

“It’s coming for me.” She said as she got closer to the far wall. “Oh, it’s coming for me, it’s coming for me, it’s coming for me, it’s coming for me, oh-” she babbled in panic, pressing herself against the wall as the banging grew closer. She started screaming then, springing the Doctor into action.

“Get out of there!” He yelled, racing towards her as she only screamed louder, but he was too late.

An explosion of sparks appeared just above Mrs. Silvestry’s head, and the whole crusader was pushed, tipped this way and that, making all of its passengers fall and tumble to the ground, power corrupting and plunging them all into darkness. After another minute of being tossed around, the movement of the crusader stopped, letting everyone get a hold of themselves and their bearings. Ironically, the music from the entertainment system earlier was playing over the speakers. There was a series of groans and moans while everyone situated themselves.

“Arms, legs, neck, head, nose, I’m fine.” The Doctor relayed to himself as he pulled himself up. “Everyone else?” He asked loudly, glancing at the screen playing music before turning to the others. “How are we? Everyone alright?!” He was met with another round of groans as his eyes darted to everyone in front of him to check on their current status. Behind him, the music fizzled out and died.

“Earthquake… must be.” The Professor rasped as he pulled himself up into a seat.

“But that’s impossible,” Deedee tried to explain while she cradled her arm to herself. “The ground is fixed, it’s solid!”

“We’ve got torches,” The hostess gasped from the back, the device already lit up in her hand as she waved the beam of light around, momentarily blinding the Doctor. “Everyone take a torch- they’re in the back of the seats!” There was a brief scuffle as everyone finally pushed themselves up to stand and grab the mentioned torches. After turning his on, Jethro immediately stalked forward cautiously, pointing his light in the direction of the front left corner of cabin.

“Oh Jethro,” Val said, moving towards her son several moments after she and Biff stood up, almost like it was an after-thought. “Sweetheart, come here-” She reached for him, but he stepped away from her touch without even looking, eyes locked on the figure in the corner of the cabin that his light shined on.

“Never mind me- what about her?” He asked, and it was then that everyone finally traced his gaze, torch lights following with them.

Mrs. Silvestry was sitting alone on the ground, back turned, hands on her head. Her heavy breathing resounded in the brief, stunned silence as they all noticed the seats in that particular corner had been practically flattened.

“What happened to the seats?!” Val demanded, her voice beginning to edge back into the previous hysteria again.

“Who did that?!” Biff echoed her demand, almost angrily.

“They’ve been ripped up!” Val further observed. The Doctor quickly made his way over to Mrs. Silvestry’s side, crouching down next to her and laying a comforting hand on her back.

“It’s alright, it’s over, we’re still alive. Look-” The Doctor said in an attempt to ease her out of her tensed state. He shined his torch over at the sidewall above her head. “The wall’s still intact, see? We’re safe.”

“Joe? Claude?” The hostess’ voice broke out loudly in the relative quiet they had created. She was in the back once more, trying the phone. “Driver Joe can you _hear me?!”_ She slammed the phone back down on its holder and stormed over to the cockpit doors. “I’m not getting any response, the engine- com must be down-” She explained in a rush, pressing the button to open the doors harshly.

She was met with a striking white light, blinding her and all of the other passengers, making them all cower away from its intensity. Screams were ripped from throats as the light was too bright for them to handle. The hostess quickly slammed the button once more, and the doors slid shut with a hiss, providing blissful protection from the harmful rays. The hostess scrambled back to the group, horrified at what she saw.

“Wh-wh-what happened?! What was that?!” Val stuttered, her accusing finger making another appearance.

“Is it the driver? Have we lost the driver?!” Biff’s demands followed right after his wife’s again. The Doctor sprung into action once more, leaving Mrs. Silvestry’s side and locating the cabin’s wiring panel quickly.

“T-the cabin’s gone…” The hostess trailed in disbelief.

“Don’t be ridiculous, it can’t be gone- how can it be gone?!” The Professor questioned, denying her logic.

“But you _saw_ it!” Deedee rebutted quickly, frustrated at the Professor’s denial.

“There was nothing there… like it was ripped away.” The hostess continued, beginning to shake. It was then that Biff noticed the Doctor’s actions and turned his torch light to the man.

“What are you doing?” Biff asked, still breathless. His question made everyone except Jethro turn their torches in the Doctor’s direction. Jethro himself kept his trained on Mrs. Silvestry’s still form, eyes sharp for any change.

“Ah, that’s better, little bit of light, thank you. Molto bene!” The time-lord babbled, scanning his sonic over the edges of the panel.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Val demanded again frightfully.

“The cabin’s gone; you better leave that wall alone!” Biff warned quickly.

“The cabin _can’t_ be gone!” The Professor retorted indignantly.

“No, it’s safe.” The Doctor assured. “Any rupture would’ve been automatically sealed, but-” He cut himself off as the panel gave way to reveal nothing but torn wires. He paused, looking in between the panel in his hands and the compartment in the wall. “Something’s sliced it off… You’re right, the cabin’s gone.”

“B-but if it gets separated…” The hostess trailed off shakily.

“It loses its integrity.” The Doctor finished for her, leaning the panel back into place before slowly turning to the others, expression deathly solemn. “I’m sorry; they’ve been reduced to dust.” The passengers gasped in response, in both revulsion and fear. “The driver and the mechanic.” The Doctor rose to stand, arms up again, slighting reaching towards the group in what he hoped was a convincing, assuring, and comforting gesture all in one. “But they sent a distress signal; help is on its way- they saved our lives- we are gonna get out of here, _I promise._ We’re still alive, and they’re gonna _find_ us. _”_

“Doctor, look at her.” Jethro dared to speak in the gravesilence, reminding the Doctor of their next problem.

“Right, yes, sorry- Have we got a medical kit?” He asked the hostess after a quick glance towards Mrs. Silvestry, seeing nothing had changed. Jethro’s next question had him stopping in his tracks and turning to her once more.

“Why won’t she turn around?” As the Doctor’s light joined Jethro’s on their incapacitated passenger, everyone else’s followed.

“What’s her name?” The Professor asked, seeing as she didn’t decide to converse with the others earlier, so most of them never learned that piece of information.

“Silvestry,” The hostess breathed, still lightly shaking, “M-Mrs. Sky S-Silvestry.”

“Sky?” The Doctor asked carefully. “Can you hear me?” After no response, he crouched down next to her again, this time a little farther away than before. “Are you alright? Can you move, Sky? Just look at me.” The Doctor spoke quietly, but with every word that left his mouth, more and more dread pooled into his stomach.

“That noise from outside,” Jethro started, finally taking his eyes off of Sky to study the ceiling of their cabin, “It’s stopped.”

“Well thank god for that!” Val commented in sheer relief.

“But what if it’s not outside anymore?” He continued, and after a pause, “What if it’s inside?”

“Inside?! Where?!” Val demanded again as she, Biff, Deedee, and the Professor flashed their lights wildly around the cabin, as if the thing- the _it_ from outside was lurking in the darkness around them.

“It was heading for her.” Jethro observed, returning his gaze back onto the hunched figure. The lights obediently followed.

“Sky?” The Doctor tried again, unable to push away the feeling coursing through his veins. “It’s alright, Sky. I just want you to turn around, face me.”

Slowly, ever so _slowly,_ Sky lowered her hands away from her head and brought them down to her sides. She shuffled around, her head down, until she fully faced the crowd. When she looked up, there was nothing necessarily _wrong_ with her, except for maybe-

Her eyes.

Same color, same size, same shape and everything, but the _look_ within those eyes was something unnatural, something alien to all of them.

Suddenly, her gaze began snapping around, taking in each and every one of them as if she had never seen them before. The Doctor leaned closer slightly, and her head whipped around to face him. He frowned as she watched him in an almost clinical fashion. The time-lord tilted his head to the left, and Sky mirrored him slowly. He tilted his head the other way, and this time she copied the movement sharply.

“Sky?” The Doctor whispered, though he had a feeling that he wasn’t looking at Mrs. Silvestry anymore. There was a beat of tense silence as they waited for a response, but what they got didn’t ease their fears at all. If anything, it only made things worse.

“Sky?” Sky repeated, a dazed sort of confused.

“Are you alright?” The Doctor asked again, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion at the new development.

“Are you alright?” She copied after a shorter pause.

“Are you hurt?” The time-lord spurred on.

“Are you hurt?”

“You don’t have to talk.”

“You don’t have to talk.”

“I’m trying to help.”

“I’m trying to help.”

“My name’s the Doctor.”

“My name’s the Doctor.”

“Okay, can you stop?”

“Okay, can you stop?”

“I’d like you to stop.”

“I’d like you to stop.”

“Why is she doing that?” The Professor spoke up from the group suddenly, baffled at the woman’s behavior. Immediately, Sky’s head whipped in his direction, pinning him down with her vacant stare.

“Why is she doing that?”

“She’s gone mad.” Biff remarked, shaking his head.

“She’s gone mad.” Sky parroted, eyes snapping to him and mirroring the movement.

“Stop it.” Val demanded shortly.

“Stop it.” Sky replied in the same tone, her eyes switching over to the woman.

“I said stop it!”

“I said stop it!”

“I don’t think she can.” Deedee observed, only to be pinned down with a stare like the others.

“I don’t think she can.”

“Alright, now stop it, this isn’t funny.” The Professor warned.

“Alright, now stop it, this isn’t funny.” Sky’s voice followed right after him.

“Shh shh shh shh shh, all of you.” The Doctor shushed the passengers again, glancing at them, but his gaze returned when he heard Sky repeat him.

“Shh shh shh shh shh, all of you.”

“My name’s Jethro.” Jethro suddenly tried with a curious smile, tilting his head and waiting for the inevitable response.

“My name’s Jethro.”

“Jethro, leave it, just shut up.” The Doctor scolded him sharply, eyes reprimanding the boy further. He received a wince and a duck of the head in apology and acknowledgment.

“Jethro, leave it, just shut up.” Sky echoed him, bringing his attention back onto her. The Doctor edged forward cautiously, trying to get a better look into her eyes.

“Why are you repeating?” He questioned, though he wasn’t expecting an outright response.

“Why are you repeating?”

“What is that, learning?” The Doctor continued, though mostly talking to himself and trying to see if there was any indication in her eyes that he was right.

“What is that, learning?”

“Copying?”

“Copying?”

“Absorbing?”

“Absorbing?” The Doctor drew back slightly, deciding it was time to test her abilities.

“The square root of pi is 1.77245385090-” He began to list off, and Sky began speaking shortly after.

“The square root of pi is 1.77245385090-”

“-55160272981-”

“-55160272981-” Their numbers were inter-lapping; any normal person would’ve gotten confused or made a mistake by now.

“-67483341-wow.”

“-67483341-wow.” The passengers glanced at each other in both fear and wonder.

“But that’s impossible!” The Professor exclaimed, only to be quickly parroted.

“But that’s impossible!”

“She couldn’t repeat all of that.” Deedee shook her head in denial.

“She couldn’t repeat all of that.”

“Tell her to stop it.” Val demanded.

“Tell her to stop it.”

“She’s driving me mad!”

“She’s driving me mad!”

“Just make her stop!”

“Just make her stop!”

“Stop her staring at me,”

“Stop her staring at me,”

“Just stop it; you're scaring my wife,” Biff cut in, demanding, but of course, he was copied too.

“Just stop it; you're scaring my wife,”

“Shut her up,”

“Shut her up,”

“It's gotta be a trick-” The hostess tried to reason, though why she thought Mrs. Silvestry would play a trick at a time like this was beyond him.

“It’s gotta be a trick-”

“Now stop it, all of you,” The Doctor tried to calm them before they worsened the situation, but they didn’t listen.

“Now stop it, all of you,”

“Someone shut her up-”

“Someone shut her up-”

“I’m telling you to stop-”

“I'm telling you to stop-”

“Doctor, did you plan that with her?”

“Doctor, did you plan that with her?”

“Keep it down, just keep it down-” The Doctor said again, inevitably copied once more. Before he knew it, he was swept away again, voice of reason drowned out by the chaos as everyone joined in now, only to be repeated seconds after the words left their mouths.

“Stop talking! D'you hear me?”  Val continued to demand.

“Stop talking! D'you hear me?” 

“I'm telling you, whatever your name is-” Biff was right after his wife once again.

“I'm telling you, whatever your name is-”

“Mrs. Silvestry, you're scaring the passengers,” The hostess tried to tell Sky, telling herself this had to be some sort of untimely prank.

“Mrs. Silvestry, you're scaring the passengers,”

“It's her eyes, Doctor,” The Professor gasped, shaken.

“It’s her eyes, Doctor,”

“That's impossible,” Deedee shook her head in denial again.

“That’s impossible,”

“Five! Ten! Sixteen!” Jethro called out, amazed at the fact that not only had she repeated him flawlessly, but she had done so and kept up with the others throughout all of this madness, something that only the Doctor was the other person to realize.

“Five! Ten! Sixteen!”

“Biff, don't just stand there, do something!”

“Biff, don’t just stand there, do something!”

“That's an order!”

“That’s an order!”

“You've got to stop, right now,”

“You've got to stop, right now,”

“What's wrong with her eyes?”

“What's wrong with her eyes?”

“That's not the same woman,”

“That's not the same woman,”

“Make her stop!”

“Make her stop!”

“D'you hear me, stop repeating!”

“D’you hear me, stop repeating!”

“One million seven hundred and twenty six!”

“One million seven hundred and twenty six!”

“The rescue services are on the way-”

“The rescue services are on the way-”

“You're a Doctor, what is it, what's wrong with her?”

“You're a Doctor, what is it, what's wrong with her?”

“That's something else-”

“That’s something else-”

Everyone cut off abruptly as the lights in the cabin came back on. There was a confused silence at the sudden return of the power, something that the Doctor was thankful for.

“That’s the back-up system,” The hostess explained, breaking the quiet a little too quickly for the time-lord’s liking. He stood up with the momentary relief from the terror.

“Well,” Biff breathed in slight relief, “That’s a bit better.”

“What about the rescue- how long is it going to take?!” Val demanded in her usual fashion.

“About… sixty minutes, that’s all.” The hostess replied, checking her wristwatch for the time.

“Then I suggest we all _calm down,”_ The Professor said to the other’s turning his back on Sky. The only people that noticed the startling new development with Sky were the Doctor and Jethro, but they kept quiet, giving her bewildered looks. “This panic _isn’t_ helping! That poor woman is evidently in a state of self-induced hysteria, we should leave her-”

“Doctor,” Jethro cut the old man off warily, not taking his eyes away from Sky.

“I know.” The Doctor said in reply, glancing at Jethro in confirmation of his observation. He looked back at Sky and waited for the others to notice what they had in the last minute or so.

“Doctor, now step back.” The Professor ordered him, but the Doctor only glanced over to him at the command and then back again, still waiting. “I think you should leave her-” The Professor paused slightly, noticing Sky’s gaze on him, “-alone.” This time, he took a quick breath in both fear and confusion.

Because now Sky wasn’t repeating what everyone was saying,

She was saying what they were saying _right as the words left their mouths._

“What’s she doing?” Both the Professor and Sky spoke, puzzled. “How could she do that?”

“She’s talking with you,” Val and Sky observed, Val stepped forward and halting when she realized what had just happened. “And with me… Oh my god. Biff, what’s she doing?!”

“She’s repeating,” Jethro and Sky answered, “At exactly the same time.”

“That’s impossible.” Deedee and Sky denied.

“There’s not even a delay.” The Professor and Sky observed in amazement.

“Oh man, that is weird.” Jethro and Sky almost laughed, shaking their heads.

“I think you should all be very, very quiet. Have you got that?” The Doctor and Sky asked the passengers.

“How’s she doing it?!” Val and Sky demanded, ignoring the Doctor.

“Mrs. Cane, please be quiet.” The Doctor and Sky reminded her quickly.

“How can she do that?! She’s got my voice- she’s got my words!” Val and Sky screamed at each other.

“Sweetheart, be quiet, hush now, just hush.” Biff and Sky said, the former comforting his wife with an embrace. After he realized that they spoke in sync, however, he turned back to Sky. “She’s doing it to me!”

“Just stop it, all of you, stop it please.” The Doctor and Sky commanded before the time-lord crouched in front of her again. “Now then Sky- are you Sky?” There was a pause as the Doctor waited for an answer that would not come. “Is Sky still in there? Mrs. Silvestry?” They both paused again, the Doctor searching for answers in her vacant stare. “You know exactly what I’m going to say, how are you doing that?” Another pause, and then- “Roast beef.” And another, “Bananas.” And another, “The Medusa Cascade.” The Doctor and Sky leaned forward, almost in challenge. “BANG! Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, TARDIS!” The fired at each other. “Shamble bobble dibble dooble.” They stopped again. “Oh Doctor, you’re so handsome. Yes I am, thank you.” A snort of amusement from Jethro (and inevitably, Sky) was heard in the cabin, the only noise between the verbal race between the Doctor and Sky. “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO-” They stopped in perfect sync, the Doctor hoping to catch her up on that one, but to no avail. He grinned wryly before standing up again, eyes locked with Sky. “First she repeats, then she catches up, what’s the next stage?”

“The next stage of what?!” Deedee and Sky demanded fearfully, Deedee standing up from where she was sitting on an arm rest.

“That’s not her, is it?” Jethro and Sky spoke quietly. “That’s not Mrs. Silvestry anymore.”

“I don’t think so, no.” The Doctor and Sky answered him, just as quiet. Val began sobbing into her husband’s arms and Sky mimicked the sound eerily, not actually crying herself. “I think,” The Doctor and Sky began again, “The more we talk, the more she learns. Now I’m all for education, but in this case… maybe not, let’s just- move back. Come on, come with me.” The time-lord moved towards the group of passengers, herding them into the back of the cabin, as far away from Sky as they could manage. “Everyone get back, all of you, as far as you can.” Most of them shuffled along with the Doctor’s order.

“Doctor, make her stop.” Val and Sky pleaded, Val not moving from her spot. The time-lord came up to her, gently directing her towards the others.

“Val, come with me, come to the back, stop looking at her, come on.” He and Sky told her calmly, succeeding into getting her moving again. They shuffled a little bit faster, and the Doctor scanned the group to see they were missing someone. He turned back and saw Jethro and Sky were staring at each other. “Jethro, you too. Everyone, come along.” The Doctor stopped and took a few steps back towards the boy when he recognized that Jethro still had not moved. Suddenly, he heard it.

“ _Aithusa.”_   Jethro quietly spoke with an odd hiss of his voice. The Doctor was mesmerized; he didn’t recognize the tongue _at all_ , and because of that, it took him a second more to realize what had happened.

Or rather, what _hadn’t_ happened. 

“Aithusa.” Sky repeated after a brief purse of her lips, not at all in the same tone Jethro had used. She appeared troubled and angry with Jethro, to which he only quirked the corners of his lips up in satisfaction. He turned and met the wide-eyed gaze of the Doctor, who realized that not only had she not said the word _with_ Jethro, but she had also been unable to copy the sound of it as well, having trouble with it. After a brief starring match with the boy, the Doctor took his arm and hauled him over to the safety of the back, deciding to deal with this new information later. After making sure Jethro wasn’t going to go back and try to attempt whatever he just did a second time, the Doctor turned to the group.

“Fifty minutes, that’s all we need.” The Doctor and Sky started, though from here, her voice was an undertone, a slight comfort for the passengers. “Fifty minutes until the rescue arrives, and,” He paused, glancing back at Sky in consideration before returning his gaze to the passengers, “She’s not exactly strong, look at her- all she’s got is our voices.”

“I- I can’t look at her- it’s those eyes.” Val commented unsteadily, averting her eyes yet again from Sky’s form.

“We must not look at goblin men.” Deedee spoke up suddenly, almost in thought. Everyone turned to her with a confused air about them.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Biff finally asked when no one else would.

“It’s a poem,” The Doctor told them, “Christina Rosetti.”

“We must not look at Goblin Men, we must not buy their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry, thirsty roots?” Deedee recited, but when seeing that Sky recited the poem with her again, she breathed in shakily, unsettled.

“Actually, I don’t think that’s helping.” The Doctor frowned at Deedee after a short pause, receiving a wryly amused grin from Jethro.

“She’s not a goblin, or a monster.” The Professor assured his student. “She’s just a very sick woman.”

“Maybe that’s why it went for her.” Jethro observed, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“There is _no it!”_

“Think about it though,” Jethro continued, “That knocking, it went all the way around the bus until it found her. And she was the most scared out of all of us. Maybe… that’s what it needed. That’s how it got in.” The tone wasn’t accusing, just explanatory, something the time-lord found he appreciated.

“For the last time,” The Professor ground out, ignoring everything Jethro had said, “Nothing can live on the surface of Midnight.”

“Professor, I'm glad you've got an absolute definition of life in the universe, but perhaps the universe has got ideas of its own.” The Doctor said quickly, in both to defend Jethro and try to snap the Professor out of his narrow-minded ideal. “Now, trust me. I've got previous- I think there might well be some,” He glanced back at Sky again, “Consciousness inside Mrs. Silvestry, but maybe she's still in there, and it's our job to help her.”

“Well, you can help her- I’m not going near.” Biff refused, shaking his head.

“No, I’ve got to stay back. Cause if she's copying us, maybe the final stage is becoming us. I don't want her becoming me, or things could get a whole lot worse.” The time-lord explained.

“Oh, like you’re so special.” Val sniffed, offended.

“As it happens, yes I am.” The Doctor brushed off easily, making Jethro snort again. “So that's decided- we stay back and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we can get her to hospital.”

There was a brief silence before the hostess hissed out something that made the time-lord’s blood run cold.

“We should throw her out.”

“I beg your pardon?!” The Professor asked in muted horror at the idea.

“Can we do that?” Val spoke up after a short pause, looking towards the hostess for the answer.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The Doctor almost hissed this time, fear welling up inside of him. He was only one person out of seven, if they decided they wanted to throw Sky out of the cabin, he had very little chance of stopping them.

“That thing, whatever it is, killed the driver, and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet-” The hostess tried to explain herself to the Doctor, but he cut her off.

“She can’t even _move!”_

_“_ Look at her- look at her eyes! She killed Joe, and she killed Claude, and we're next.”

“She’s still doing it,” Biff pushed passed them and stalked towards Sky again. “Just stop it! Stop talking- stop it!” Biff and Sky yelled at each other.

“Biff, don’t sweetheart!” Val called to him from where she stood, not daring to get any closer.

“She won’t stop!” Biff shouted back, but returned to the group anyway. “We can’t throw her out though; we can’t even open the doors.”

“No one is getting thrown out.” The Doctor spoke with a cold authority, meeting Biff’s eyes, probably the physically strongest one out of all of them there. He persisted with his stare until Biff backed off, joining his wife at her side again. There was another small silence as they all let that fact sink in.

“Yes we can.” Deedee spoke up suddenly, making the Doctor’s eyes snap to her in a disbelieving shock. She continued without meeting his gaze. “Cause there’s an air-pressure seal. Like when you opened the cabin door,” She turned to the hostess, “You weren’t pulled out; you had a couple of seconds. It takes the pressure wall about six seconds to collapse- well, six seconds exactly. That’s enough time to throw someone out.”

“Thanks Deedee, just what we needed.” The Doctor told her sarcastically, bitterly realizing that the Professor hadn’t stopped her explanation this time as he had with others, which meant he probably lost another person in favor of saving an innocent life.

“Would it kill her outside?” Val questioned, considering the idea even further.

“I don’t know,” Deedee shook her head, “But she’s got a body now, it would certainly kill the physical form-”

“No one is killing anyone!” The Doctor snapped, leaning forward to reiterate his statement.

“I wouldn’t risk the cabin door twice, but we’ve got that one.” The hostess told them all, pointing to the emergency door behind them. “All we need to do is grab ahold of her and throw her out-”

“Now listen! All of you! For all we know, that's a brand new life-form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, than what's it found? This little bunch of humans? What d'you amount to? _Murder?_ Cause this is where you decide. You decide _who you are_. Could you actually murder her? Any of you? _Really?_ Or are you better than that?” The Doctor asked the group of humans in front of them, hoping that his reasoning might knock some sense into them.

For a long, quiet moment, it seemed as if it did, but then-

“I’d do it.” The hostess admitted in an absent hiss.

“So would I.” Biff agreed.

“And me.” Val added.

“I think we should.” Deedee nodded, throwing the time-lord into shock once more.

“ _What?_ ” He really expected more from her after his ‘humanity’ speech, but it seemed as if she was still set upon killing someone, which left him immensely disappointed and fearful. Deedee was one of the most logical ones on this crusader, if he lost her-

“I want her out!” Deedee continued.

“You can’t say that.” The Doctor tried again.

“I’m sorry, but you said it yourself Doctor, she is _growing_ in strength!”

“That’s not what I said.” The time-lord denied quickly, frantically shaking his head.

“I want to go home,” Deedee told him, on the verge of tears, “I’m sorry, I want to be safe.”

“You’ll be safe, any minute now- the rescue truck is on its way.” The Doctor assured her.

“But what happens then, Doctor?” The hostess cut in, demanding, “If it takes that thing back to the Leisure Palace- if that thing reaches civilization...what if it spreads?”

“No, cause when we get back to the base, I'll be there to contain it.” He explained quickly, wishing that he had the ability to do that _now,_ before someone dies.

“Well, you haven’t done much so far!” Val accused sharply.

“You’re just standing at the back with the rest of us!” Biff backed up his wife quickly.

“She's dangerous. And it's my job to see that this vessel is safe- We should get rid of her.” The hostess ground out in a demand.

“Now hang on,” The Professor spoke up, hands up in a placating gesture, “I think we’re all perhaps going a little bit too far.”

“At last!” The Doctor leaned forward and put a hand on the Professor’s shoulder. “Thank you.” He told the man earnestly, glad that he had someone trying to calm the others before they acted too rashly.

“Two people are _dead!_ ” The hostess snapped, slamming her hand on the cabin wall in frustration.

“Don’t make it a third.” The Doctor warned immediately, almost snapping himself. There was another small pause, and the Doctor needed to use it wisely before things spun more out of control than they already have. He needed another voice of reason, someone that would side with the Doctor completely instead of passively staying in middle-ground like the Professor had done. He needed- Ah yes! “Jethro, what do you say?” He asked, turning to the boy next to him. A split second afterwards, the Doctor realized that Jethro might actually side with his parents on the matter just for the sole reason that they were his parents, when-

“I’m not killing anyone.” The quiet voice made him breathe in relief.

“Thank you.” The time-lord nodded back to the teen.

“He’s just a boy!” Val spat out quickly, negating Jethro’s words quickly.

“What, so I don’t get a vote?!” Jethro retorted just as fast, but his words made the Doctor bristle.

“There isn’t a vote- it’s not happening! Ever!”  The Doctor snapped in outrage. It made him feel a smidge better when Jethro winced and ducked his head in apology, realizing the implications of his words and what they could do in this situation. At least one person in this group of humans still saw reason. “If you try to throw her out that door, you’ll have to get passed me first.” The Doctor declared, standing his ground against the others in the group.

This time the silence was shorter.

“Okay.” The hostess decided once more.

“Fine by me.” Biff agreed.

“Oh, now you’re being stupid- just think about it! Could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?!” The Doctor asked in outrage, stepping forward into Biff’s space.

“Are you calling me a coward?!” Biff demanded, quick to defend his pride.

“Who put you in charge, anyway?” Val hissed in a conspiratorial manner.

“I’m sorry, but,” The Professor suddenly cut in, but not in the time-lord’s favor, like he had hoped. “You’re a Doctor of what, exactly?”

“He wasn’t even booked in.” The hostess cut in as well, “Rest of you, tickets in advance. He just turned up out of the blue.”

“Where from?” Deedee requested quietly, though her gaze was cold and harsh. The Doctor began to back away from them all slowly.

“I’m just… travelling. I’m just a traveler- that’s all.” He said calmly.

“Like an immigrant?” Val spoke sharply.

“Who were you talking to? Before you got on board, you were talking to someone. Who was that?” The hostess hissed, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

“Just Donna, just my friend.”

“And what were you saying to her?” Biff asked, his gaze mirroring the hostess’.

“He hasn’t even told us his name.” Val threw in again.

“…Thing is Doctor, you’ve been loving this.” The quiet voice from beside the time-lord made ice run through his veins.

“Oh Jethro, not you.” The Doctor pleaded, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No, but ever since all of the trouble’s started, you’ve been loving it.” The boy explained, but the look in his eyes made the Doctor pause in confusion. Though his words were set against the Doctor, his eyes were practically begging the Doctor to prove him wrong. The time-lord didn’t understand what the boy was trying to tell him.

“It has to be said, you do seem to have a certain,” The Professor paused, looking for the right word, “…Glee.”

“All right, I’m interested- yes. I can’t help it. Cause, whatever’s inside her, it’s brand new, and that’s fascinating-” Before the Doctor could continue in his explanation, he was interrupted by none other than Mrs. Cane.

“What- you _wanted_ this to happen?!” She accused.

“No!”

“And you were talking to her,” Biff added, “All on your own, before the trouble, right at the front, you were talking to that Sky woman, the two of you together, I saw you-”

“We all did!” Val accused again.

“And you went into the cabin-” The hostess added.

“What did you say to her?” Biff demanded loudly.

“I was just talking!”

“Saying _what?!”_

“You called us humans like you're not one.” The quiet voice beside him spoke up again observantly, and the time-lord wanted to reach out and shake the boy, yell at him to stop being so brilliant- because while it was a beneficial quality to possess, it really wasn’t working in his favor at the moment. When the Doctor turned though, he wasn’t met with a harsh stare like the others had, but the same open pleading mixed in with curiosity from before.

He still didn’t understand.

“He did- that’s what he said!” Val hissed, and Jethro grimaced suddenly, appearing to realize his curiosity didn’t help the Doctor at all.

“And the wiring,” Deedee started, “He went into that panel and opened up the wiring-”

“That was after!” The Doctor cut in this time.

“But how did you know what to do?!” Biff almost shouted at him.

“Because I’m _clever!_ ”

There was a long silence, and the Doctor knew those words were the worst words he could say in this situation as soon as they left his mouth. He cursed himself for getting caught up in his frustration as he saw the passengers take a small step away from him, all of their faces turning cold and hostile- taken aback, even.

Well, all but one.

When the Doctor looked, he found that Jethro was grinning. Not of malice, not coldly, not even in disbelief, just

And he didn’t know how or why, but something in the boy’s eyes told the time-lord that he just earned himself back an ally in their small cabin of terrified, dangerous humans.

“I see.” The Professor scoffed. “Well, that makes things clear.”

“And what are we, then? _Idiots?”_ Biff snarled.

“That’s not what I meant.” The Doctor told them quietly, but still making full eye-contact with them.

“If you’re clever, than what are we?” Deedee asked, insulted.

“You’ve been looking down on us from the moment we walked in!” Val continued to accuse.

“If he goes, he’s practically volunteered.” The hostess ground out.

“Oh come on; just listen to yourselves, _please!”_ The time-lord raised his voice again, frustration creeping up on him once more.

“D’you mean… We throw him out as well?” Biff suggested suddenly, making the Doctor’s eyes widen, the sudden feeling of _fear_ streaming through his body, but not fear for anyone else, no- for the first time in a long time, fear for himself. This pause in the cabin seemed far shorter to him than any other of them, though he knew it probably wasn’t.

“If we have to.” The hostess agreed, tight-lipped. The Doctor took a step or two back from the group slowly, putting his hands up in a half-hearted attempt to calm them once more and defend himself. Before he could get a word out of his mouth, however, Jethro had shifted to stand in front of him, back to the time-lord, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the others.

“What- are you mad?!” He demanded loudly, probably the loudest his voice had been this whole trip.

“Jethro, stay out of this.” Val snapped harshly, glaring back at both her son and the time-lord.

“You’re going to kill him too? For what- trying to help?!” Jethro continued, ignoring her.

“He was talking to her before-” The hostess reminded, but the teen didn’t let her get too far.

“Like how he was speaking to all of us? You know, like what normal people do when meeting others?!”

“Not another word-” Biff started to reprimand the boy in a shout, but he ignored him, like his mother.

“I will not sit here and watch you all descend into madness and murder an innocent man!”

“Innocent?!” Val hissed, voice ever so accusing.

“He’s done nothing wrong.” Jethro defended the time-lord, shaking his head.

“But he knew what to do-” Deedee tried to reason with him, but Jethro was having none of that.

“Because he’s clever!” There was a short pause of disbelief at the teen’s words, most of them thinking that that was his reason for defending the Gallyfreyan man. “What he meant was that he’s a doctor; he’s practically programmed to respond efficiently in high-stress situations, so he knows what do to in emergencies. If you throw him out as well as her, you’d be murdering not one, but two people, and that makes you as bad as her,” At this, he pointed back to Sky, “And suddenly _you’re_ the monster.”

In the stunned silence that followed the boy’s words, the Doctor found that as of this moment, he couldn’t think of a time he’d been more grateful to a being. He didn’t know what he did to earn the boy’s trust, but whatever it was, he was thankful that he did it.

Though the silence didn’t last as long as he’d hoped it’d last.

“Perhaps if he would give us his name,” The Professor suggested, only momentarily sated with Jethro’s explanation.

“What does it matter?” The Doctor asked.

“Then tell us.” The Professor coaxed. The Doctor paused for a slight moment before blurting,

“John Smith.” Suddenly, Jethro rounded on him, giving him a look that screamed ‘ _Really? John Smith? That’s the best you could do?’_ At the scoffs of disbelief from the other passengers, Jethro spun back around, his lips pursed.

“Yup, that’s him- Dr. John Smith. He told me before.” Jethro backed him up.

“He’s lying! Look at his face!” Biff called out angrily, ignoring Jethro completely.

“His eyes are the same as hers.” Val told them all in a hissed whisper.

“Why won’t you tell us?” Deedee spoke up. Suddenly, the lot of them began speaking all at once, creating another bout of chaos in the cabin.

“He's been lying to us, right from the start-”

“No one's called John Smith! Come off it!”

“Just tell us, Doctor, just say it.”

“It's a simple enough question, what’s your name?!”

“Stop!” Jethro roared quite suddenly, making the passengers’ jaws snap shut in surprise. “It doesn’t matter what his name is- what matters is the situation at hand. He says he’s had previous experience with things like this and I believe him. That means _we need him_ to do what he can and the rest of us need to _calm down-”_

“So you two keep saying!” The Professor snapped, dismissing the teen, “You’ve been repeating yourselves more than her!” At this, he pointed behind the time-lord and the teenager to the woman still huddled in the corner of the cabin.

“If anyone's in charge, it should be the Professor- he's an expert!” Val hissed venomously.

“Wait, Val, stop. Just look.” Deedee quietly murmured, looking passed all of them, to where the Professor previously had pointed.

“You keep out of this.” The Professor barked down at her, but she didn’t even glance at him.

“But look at her!” Deedee pressed, which finally made all of the passengers’ gazes follow hers. All seemed unchanged with Sky until Deedee spoke once more. “She’s stopped.” And it was true; Sky had stopped speaking in sync with all of the passengers.

All accept one.

“When did she-” The Doctor and Sky spoke together, the former’s bewildered stare trying to pierce the latter’s almost mocking gaze. “No she hasn’t, she’s still doing it.”

“She looks the same to me.” Val couldn’t help but agree before gasping with joy, a large grin spreading across her face. “She’s stopped! Look- I’m talking and she’s _not!”_  The Doctor began to approach Sky warily, his eyes never leaving hers.

“What about me? Is she…?” Biff asked out loud, testing the new development. “Look! Look at that! She's not doing me, she's let me go!” He told the others needlessly.

“Mrs. Silvestry?” The hostess tried, stepping forward. When a voice didn’t echo her own, the hostess breathed again. “Nor me. Nothing.”

“Sky?” The Doctor and Sky asked together, “What are you doing?”

“She’s still doing him.” Deedee pointed out almost accusingly.

“Doctor, it’s you. She’s only copying _you!”_ The Professor said, pushing passed his student.

“Why me?” The time-lord and his echo demanded of each other. “Why are you doing this?”

“She won't leave him alone- D'you see?! I said so, she's with him.” Val accused viciously once more.

“They’re together.” Biff agreed at once.

“How do you explain it, Doctor? If you’re so clever-!” The Professor sounded wary.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor and Sky growled at one another. “Sky, stop it. I said stop it- just stop it!” The Doctor only vaguely picked up that they sounded horrifyingly reminiscent of how Val had acted earlier, and if the Doctor loses it- none of them would survive this.

“Look at the two of them.” Val spoke, sharp eyes glancing between the two in the silent standoff. The Doctor kneeled down to Sky, meeting her on the same level.

“Mrs. Silvestry, I'm trying to understand. You've captured my speech- what for? What d'you need?” There was a small pause between repeated phrases, one long enough for the Doctor to have a small epiphany. “You need my voice in particular- the cleverest voice in the room. Why? Cause I'm the only one who can help?” Another assessing pause. “Oh, I'd love that to be true- but your eyes, they're saying something else.” The passengers in the back shifted uncomfortably at this, but the Doctor, and by extension Sky, ignored them. “Listen to me. Whatever you want, if it's life, or form, or consciousness, or voice, you don't have to steal it. You can find it, without hurting anyone. And I'll help you.”

“Doctor, stop. Stop talking.” Jethro ordered gently from where he stood, making the time-lord’s eyes slide over to him. “If it’s as you said before, it’s dangerous for you to keep talking- especially when she’s singled you out like this.” Jethro explained quietly, eyes pleading and worried for the time-lord.

“I know.” The Doctor nodded to the boy, Sky’s voice an ominous undertone, “But I’ve got to try.” With this, he turned back to Sky, looking her right in the eyes. “I’ll help you. That’s a promise. I will do everything in my power to help you. So. What do you think?”

“Do we have a deal?”

“Do we have a deal?”

Stunned silence reigned in the cabin. The blatant repeating of phrases had made a return, just like before, but unlike then, the person repeating had changed.

Because Sky had spoken first, and the Doctor had copied her.

“Hold on,” Deedee spoke up, the first brave enough to do so, “Did she just-?”

“She spoke first.” Jethro confirmed, immensely alarmed now.

“She can’t have.” Val denied with a puzzled frown.

“She did!” The Professor said, completely caught off guard like the rest of them. A slow smile began to grow on Sky’s face.

“Oh, look at that, I’m ahead of you.” She told the Doctor condescendingly, and he was helpless to stop himself from repeating.

He couldn’t move. He could barely blink and move his gaze. He couldn’t speak, except when it came time to repeat Sky, and he didn’t know why- _and he was helpless to stop himself_.

“Oh, look at that, I’m a head of you.”

“Did you see?” The Professor asked the group at large, “She spoke before he did! Definitely!”

“He's copying her.” Jethro observed, disturbed and still alarmed, slowly making his way closer to the Doctor. He was stopped when Deedee and the Professor stood in his path, obvious to how they were cutting him off from getting to the time-lord. Jethro waited patiently for now, not wanting to push for hysteria once more, eyes locked on the Doctor’s crouching form, the time-lord’s back turned to the group, preventing them all from seeing his face.

“Doctor..? What's happening?” The Professor asked, unaware that the time-lord, however much he desperately wanted to tell them, could not respond.

“I think it's moved.” Sky mused, still smiling slightly, straightening to sit up from her former huddle.

“I think it’s moved.”

“I think it's letting me go.”

“I think it’s letting me go.”

“What do you mean?” Deedee inquired, “Letting you go from what?”

“ _He’s_ the one repeating now; _he’s_ the one doing it- it’s him.” Biff declared confidently.

“Mrs. Silvestry, is that you?” The Professor asked the woman, and the Doctor immediately thought him daft. What kind of creature plotting nefarious yet genius plans would outright admit them to you?!

Yes, fortunately the Doctor’s thoughts were still his own. 

“Yes, yes, it's me.” Sky straightened up some more, offering the group what was supposed to be a warm smile.

“Yes, yes, it’s me.”

“I'm coming back. Listen. It's me!”

“I’m coming back. Listen. It’s me!” The Doctor was only slightly sure he was somewhat in control of his facial expressions as well.

“It’s like… it's passed into the Doctor. It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him.” Deedee said, but sounded unsure of herself. Even if she did, the Doctor knew words were a powerful thing- once they had been planted, there was room to _grow_ upon them.

“No, that’s not what happened.” Jethro said shortly, voice clipped, but confident. The time-lord feared that even with his confidence, it was too late.

“But look at her!” Val snapped, the boy’s own mother proving the Doctor’s fears to be true. In front of him, Sky stretched her arms.

“Look at me. I can move. I can feel again. I’m coming back to life.” Sky smiled as she twirled her fingers in the air.

“Look at me. I can move. I can feel again. I’m coming back to life.”

“And look at him. He can’t move.” Sky retuned her condescending gaze to him, meeting to Doctor’s eyes smugly.

“And look at him. He can’t move.” Sky turned back to the group, her eyes falsely warm once again.

“Help me, Professor.” Sky pleaded, stretching her arms out to him, to which the Professor looked flabbergasted.

“Help me, Professor.”

“Get me away from him. Please.”

“Get me away from him. Please.” The Professor, still scared, edged forward cautiously. He reached around the Doctor and took Sky’s hands in his own before pulled her away to the safety of the group. In his absence, Jethro inched closer to the Doctor, but his efforts were impeded once more when now Sky herself stood in his way.

“Oh, thank you.” Sky spoke her gratitude earnestly, giving Jethro a strange look when no one else was looking.

“Oh, thank you.”

“It's him, it's in him, d'you see- I said it was him all the time.” Biff spat, turning a cold glare to the crouched, defenseless time-lord.

“She's free! She's been saved!” Val said, relieved and surprised beyond belief.

“It was so cold.” Sky began to explain, leaving the Doctor to helplessly echo her.

“It was so cold.”

“I couldn't breathe.”

“I couldn't breathe.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I must’ve scared you so much.”

“I must’ve scared you so much.” Val began moving even before the Doctor has stopped repeating, throwing herself at Sky and wrapping her arms around her tearfully.

“No, no it’s alright, I’ve got you. There you are, my love, it’s gone now. Everything’s alright.” Val comforted Sky, who reciprocated the embrace. Deedee shuffled, unsurely.

“I wouldn’t touch her.” She warned Val, and the Doctor sensed that he was slowly gaining another ally. If he wasn’t immobile, and if these humans didn’t want to _murder_ their way to a solution- basically, if the circumstances had been lighter- the Doctor would have laughed.

The two _children_ in the group of humans were the most sensible and reasonable ones of them all.

Who would have thought?

“But it's gone, she's clean, it's passed into him.” Biff’s voice brought the time-lord back to the sickening, horrifying reality- the reality in which these might be his final moments.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

“That’s not what happened.” It was Deedee again, solidifying the Doctor’s sense that she was going to defend him. He noticed his other line of defense, Jethro, was eerily quiet, and the Doctor didn’t even want to think about what would happen should the boy choose to side with the others on this matter.

Jethro was his favorite, after all; he didn’t want to lose his favorite.

“Thank you for your opinion, _Dee_ , but clearly, Mrs. Silvestry has been released.” The Professor now adopted Sky’s level of condescending on his student.

“No!” Deedee remained stubborn, making the Doctor just slightly more grateful. He doubted Deedee alone could convince them all, and even with Jethro-

This was not going to end well for him.

“Just leave her alone! She's safe, isn't she? Jethro? It's let her go, hasn't it?” Val snapped at Deedee before asking her son, expecting to be supported completely.

Jethro remained steadfast in his stony silence.

“Professor?” Val asked when seeing she wasn’t going to get a response.

“Well, um, I'd say, from observation...” The Professor stammered his answer, and the Doctor could already tell he was going to dread the man’s response. “The Doctor can't move, and when she was possessed, she couldn't move, so-”

“Well there we are!” Biff cut in, having heard all he needed to hear. “Now the only problem we've got is this Doctor.” He spat. The time-lord could feel several sets of eyes on his unmoving form.

“It’s inside his head.” Sky began to speak, and the Doctor realized that she was going to use her words- now that she could create them herself- to manipulate the rest of them.

“It’s inside his head.” He copied, trying with all of his might to fight her, even if it was just to shut his mouth, but he could do nothing. It was as if a vice had gripped onto him, and it wasn’t letting go.

“It killed the Driver.”

“It killed the Driver.”

“And the mechanic.”

“And the mechanic.”

“And now it wants us.”

“And now it wants us.”

“I said so.” Val hissed conspiratorially to the others, but Sky plowed right on over her.

“He's waited so long.”

“He's waited so long.” The time-lord wasn’t even happy to get that little tid-bit of knowledge about this life form, given his current situation. He did, however, catalogue and file it away for later- if there even was a later. The creature- whatever it may be- was male.

“In the dark.”

“In the dark.”

“And the cold.”

“And the cold.” And it could feel temperatures. But the heat from the X-tonic rays should’ve been massive- does it somehow feel backwards? If not, where was it residing that was possibly cold and dark? Underground?

No. _No._ He was trapped and scared out of his mind at the mercy of these humans; he was _not_ going to spend brainpower on contemplating this diabolical life form.

“And the diamonds.”

“And the diamonds.”

“Until you came.”

“Until you came.”

“Bodies so hot.”

“Bodies so hot.” …It was probably cold-blooded, then. Or something close to- _No._ He wasn’t doing it.

“With blood.”

“With blood.” Cold-blooded it was, then.

“And pain.”

“And pain.” With a morbid sense, too.

“Make him stop, oh my God, make him stop, someone make him stop-” Val cried out, sounding as terrified as the Doctor felt before he let his over-active mind get ahead of itself.

“But _she’s_ saying it!” Deedee defended, and if the Doctor could, he would’ve congratulated her for her impeccable observation- a skill in which her _professor_ was sorely lacking.

“And you can shut up!” Val barked back at her. If the Doctor could, he would’ve frowned deeply and gone off on the woman for being completely rude to the poor student.

“I'm sorry, but it's not him, it's her, he's just repeating!” Deedee continued stubbornly.

“But that’s what the thing does, it repeats!” Biff snarled at her.

“Let her talk.” The hostess suddenly spoke up, the first time in a long time, and the Doctor suddenly remembered she existed again. If the Doctor could, he would’ve apologized to her for forgetting about her existence while he was having a crisis. He was sure that on more sensible grounds, she would forgive him.

“What do you know?!” Biff shouted at her. “Fat lot of good you’ve been.”

“Just let her explain!” The hostess demanded before looking at Deedee, giving her a sign to continue. Suddenly, the Doctor started to feel as if he was getting another person on his side- hope was certainly on the horizon, but even with those three… Or maybe two- Jethro still hadn’t spoken up _at all_. If the Doctor could, he would’ve first checked the boy for any injury- shock might have finally caught up to the teen- and then promptly shook him and demanded to know why he didn’t defend the Doctor, or at least _say something_ throughout the event. He thought they were in this together- Jethro, what’s going on?!

“I think... I mean, from what I've seen...” Deedee trailed nervously, all eyes (except the Doctor’s because he _still couldn’t move_ ) on her. “It repeats, then it synchronizes, then it goes to the next stage, and that's exactly what the Doctor said would happen!” If the Doctor could, he would’ve-

Oh enough. He was tired of the “if the Doctor could, he would’ve” game- it was making him more depressed and stressed out than he already was.

“What, and you're on his side?” Biff was quick to accuse.

“No!” Deedee assured, just as quick.

“But the voice is the thing!” Biff continued.

“And she's the voice! She stole it- Listen to her! It's not possessing him, it's draining him!” Deedee explained.

“She’s got his voice…” The Doctor could’ve sworn he heard the hostess say, but it was so quiet, he couldn’t be too sure.

“No, but that's not true, cause it can't be, cause I saw it pass into him, I saw it with my own eyes!” Val blatantly lied- or maybe she had convinced herself to believe it was true.

“So did I!” Biff was always ever so quick to back his wife up at any time.

“But you didn't!” Deedee shook their head at them, disbelieving.

“It went from her, to him.” Val spat venomously. “You saw it too, didn't you Jethro?” When the Doctor heard no response, he almost wished he could tell someone to check the kid for a stroke- his silence was worrying.

What the Doctor didn’t see however, since he _still couldn’t move,_ was that Jethro has finally ripped his calculating eyes away from the Doctor’s form and moved them to Val, his gaze growing into a stormy glare. He held her shocked eyes for a few moments before moving them to Sky, meeting her eyes in a challenge, searching for something in their depths. When he found what he was looking for, his gaze returned to the Doctor and he continued to wait patiently.

“Everyone saw it, everyone!” Biff shouted again when seeing they weren’t going to get a response from the boy again.

“But you didn’t! You’re just making it up!” Deedee rightly accused. “I know what I saw, and I saw her stealing his voice-”

“She’s as bad as him. Someone shut her up!” Val demanded snidely.

“I think you should be quiet, Dee.” The Professor spoke shortly, desperate to prove himself.

“Well, I’m only saying-” She desperately tried to explain, but the Professor cut her off, anger explosive.

“ _And that’s an order!”_ The Professor rounded on her, frustration mounting. With his turn, Jethro saw that there was just enough room for him to squeeze by and get to the terrified time-lord. All he needed was something to make him go unnoticed, and- “You're making a fool of yourself! Pretending-” And there it was. While the Professor ranted at his student- and while everyone’s attention was on the spectacle- Jethro quietly slipped passed them all. “-When I can tell you that-” He did feel quite bad for Deedee, but it was a necessary evil at the moment.

While the Doctor listened to the Professor chew out his student, fuming internally, he registered the sound of footfalls and the thumps on the ground that signaled someone was approaching him. He forgot all else and desperately tried to move, to speak, to do _something-_ But the only thing he managed to do was make himself shake, which wasn’t very helpful. It was mostly out of pure fear, as he was fairly certain it was Biff finally deciding it was time to throw him out of the cabin to be vaporized in seconds.

When the person approaching stepped around him and kneeled down in front of him, the Doctor felt the sweet release of utter relief flood his systems. Jethro blinked back at him, eyes searching his, taking in his horrified expression. Jethro’s gaze flickered back up to where Deedee was being humiliated before nodding to himself and returning his eyes to the Doctor’s. Before the Doctor could think about how this was eerily reminiscent to what had happened between himself and Sky, what had gotten him into this mess, Jethro leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.

The Doctor blinked, and he wasn’t in the cabin anymore.

He blinked again, sure this was some kind of trick, but the wind breezed above the area, rustling the grassy hills around him. Looking up, the time-lord saw bright blue skies, a fluff of cotton clouds here and there. The trees on the sides of the hills were rather luscious and full, greener than he had seen in a long time. The Doctor breathed in fresh air, and noticed that he was sitting on the tallest hill in the area, a small, content smile on his face. He felt so calm, so refreshed, that-

Then he remembered what was going on, and he promptly began to panic.

When he said ‘panic’, he really meant full blown panic-attack levels, something he hadn’t felt since the days of the time war. He couldn’t breathe, his vision was growing black on the edges, his chest and throat were constricting, it felt like he was going to puke and his head was going to explode at the same time, and he was pretty sure his fingers were tingling-

“When we first met, we hated each other.”

The Doctor started violently at the voice coming from right next to him. His head whipped over to find Jethro, of all people, sitting on the grass next to him, overlooking the land thoughtfully. The time-lord barely registered what the boy had said before he began speaking again.

“He was using his servant for target practice- with a shield of course, but still- throwing daggers at him, and I stood up for the poor guy. _He_ was a real prat, and we got into a fight, which I was later arrested for because apparently he was a _royal_ prat.” Jethro explained, a bittersweet smile on his lips.

The Doctor, quite frankly, was at a loss for words.

His fingers had stopped tingling, and his heart rate began to slow down, but he was swept up in a sea of confusion. Before he could even attempt to sort through his severely muddled thoughts, Jethro’s voice brought him back out of his mind and to the present- wherever the present happened to be, at the moment.

“And then later that week I ended up saving his life, and the King- his father- decides to reward me with making me his son’s manservant. He was obviously still the royal princely prat that he was, and I was repeatedly told- by him- I was ‘incompetent’ at my job, but we somehow managed to put up with each other.” 

The feeling in his chest loosened a little bit more as the Doctor listened to Jethro. Now that his vision was back to normal, he realized that the boy didn’t exactly look the same as he did back in the cabin. Instead of all black attire, Jethro wore brown pants, boots, and a coat, while donning a blue tunic and a red neckerchief. The time-lord frowned as he noticed this, but was pulled back to Jethro’s story in curiosity.

“Then I get told that I have a destiny with him- that we were ‘two sides of the same coin’- that I was supposed to protect him, to stay by his side, and he was supposed to become the greatest king Albion had ever seen, uniting the five kingdoms. At first, I didn’t believe it, but as time went by, I realized that it was true. So, I spent my days serving him, as his manservant and secret guardian, protecting him from anything that threatened him.”

As air returned to his lungs, the Doctor felt as if he knew that name, _Albion,_ from somewhere, but couldn’t exactly remember where.  His headache lessened steadily as well.

“And let me tell you, things _threatened_. It was almost like every other day his life was in danger, be it knights from other kingdoms, or more common than not, magical creatures that wanted revenge on the King for purging the lands of magic and killing off a great deal of them.”

“You’re joking.” The words slipped out of the Doctor’s mouth before he even knew it, but Jethro shook his head.

“I’m really not. It was exhausting.”

“Magic?” At his skeptical tone, Jethro finally turned to look at the Doctor, and the time-lord felt as if all of the panic would come rushing in on him again, but Jethro only smirked at him playfully, and the panic was kept at bay.

“Yes, Doctor, magic, keep up.” Ignoring the time-lord’s sputtering, the boy continued. “I should probably also mention the King had outlawed magic, and that sorcery was a crime punishable by death, so there was that hanging over my head, too.”

“Why would it be hanging over your head?”

“Because I’m a sorcerer, Doctor.” Jethro replied without missing a beat.

“You?”

“Yes.”

“You have magic.” The time-lord sounded insanely skeptical, but he had a right to be. He didn’t even believe in magic.

“I was born with it.” Jethro replied, a faraway look in his eyes. The Doctor was speechless with disbelief once more, so Jethro took that as his cue to continue. “After a while, we started getting close, his royal pratliness and I. He really wasn’t all that bad, to be honest, certainly a lot more forgiving and accepting than any other nobles or royalty I’ve come into contact with. He was selfless and honorable- he wanted to help his people in any way that he could- and he always stood up for what he believed in. I’ve always admired that about him…” Jethro trailed off wistfully.

“Did he know?” The Doctor asked solemnly.

“Know?” Jethro cocked his head at the time-lord.

“About your ‘magic’.” The Doctor clarified, still not quite sure he believed in the concept. Jethro looked away, face carefully blank.

“Not at the time.” He replied. “In fact, not for a long time from then. A long while after he became king.” There was a brief pause before he continued with his story. “We went on some strange, adventurous quests together where we would risk our lives for one another. Along the way, we made a few new friends, and lost a few… But everything was alright. Well… until his sister decided that she wanted to throw away all of her bonds and take the crown for herself. We’ve faced many hardships from the time she betrayed us, but we stuck together, him and I, through thick and thin. It was difficult, but I knew as long as we stood, we would be triumphant.”

There was a long pause filled with unspoken words before the Doctor ventured tentatively.

“So what happened?”

“…Towards the end of our days,” Jethro continued eventually, his voice catching, “I was told how he would die. I saw what would happen with my very own eyes. I was always anxious, waiting for the moment when the axe would finally fall, and because of that, I made a few mistakes I regret- a few mistakes that cost us in the long run.” Jethro breathed in shakily here, “Right before the final battle, his sister tricked me into losing all of my magic. I was defenseless- helpless to protect him, helpless to protect any of them. His sister had gathered an army much larger than our own and was making her way to the citadel, slowly but surely. My king decided that they would meet her forces half-way, stopping them from wreaking havoc on innocent civilians. He planned a brilliant sneak attack that would catch the enemy off guard and give us a fighting chance. For the first time since I met him, I could not go with him- could not be at his side- not until I got my magic back, to be _sure_ that he would stay safe. But…”

“There’s always a ‘but’, isn’t there?” The Doctor asked wryly, offering a sympathetic smile. Jethro’s lips briefly twitched upwards in agreement.

“When I went to the place where I could regain my magic, his sister appeared, a powerful sorceress of her own right. She trapped me there, powerless, and rode on to meet her brother on the battlefield, knowing of his cunning plan due to a spy in the kingdom. I screamed and cried for the longest time, but nothing I did or tried helped. I was stuck there for the better part of a day.”

“And did you get your magic back?”

“Of course I did,” Jethro dismissed easily, “It just took a while.  When it finally came back to me, I used it to warn the king of his sister’s approach. He was sleeping at the time, so I suppose I was talking to him through a dream. Despite everything- despite knowing that he must’ve been dreaming it, because there was no possible way that I could’ve spoken to him from so far away- he believed me. He woke the knights at once and readied for battle. Meanwhile, I had finally broken free of that blasted cave and rode as fast as I could to join him on the battlefield, after casting an aging spell on myself so no one would recognize me.”

“You mean, so _he_ wouldn’t recognize you.” The Doctor corrected wisely, earning him a small nod in response.

“When I got there, our forces were vastly outnumbered, far more than we could have ever thought. Even then, our knights fought valiantly, taking down many of them in the process. And suddenly, it all seemed too familiar.” Jethro laughed without any actual mirth, “The fire, the blood, the fighting- it was what I had seen before, when he was supposed to die. In my panic, I nearly leveled the enemy with my magic, evening our numbers. For a second, _he_ looked up at me, and I thought he recognized who I was, and that my secret was finally out. But after a moment, he was up and gone again, fighting on the front lines with his men, as usual. I wasn’t worried anymore; I had all but nearly taken out the enemy as I was told to do, and I knew that we would arise as the victors... Well it turns out, I was facing the wrong enemy.”

The Doctor almost sighed at the line, too familiar with this direction and its outcome.

“I had been warned that a little druid boy would one day be the death of him. With the change in tide of the battle, I had forgotten all about that. So when I went down to find my king, after the battle was over, and saw that same boy was on the ground, dead, and _he_ was slumped over, nearly as motionless-”

 Jethro sucked in a breath through his teeth, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“It was the worst thing I had ever felt, Doctor.” Jethro told him, so quiet that the time-lord had to lean in to hear him. “Like my world had lost its focus- like something apart of me had been ripped away. But then I checked him over, and found that he was still _alive._ I took him away from the battlefield immediately, intent on finding a way to heal him before his practically fatal wound got the best of him. It was then, when he finally returned to consciousness in the middle of the woods, that I told him about my magic.”

“And how did he take it?”

“Not well,” Jethro grimaced, “He didn’t believe me at first- not until I showed him- how could he? The person he trusted the most, a sorcerer under his nose the whole time? Lying to him from day one?  But then… He felt deeply betrayed, and-” Jethro cut off for a short moment, “I could see that he was _afraid_ of me, as if I’d actually hurt him. It was terrible, I couldn’t breathe. To know that the trust we’d built upon for years had broken so _quickly-”_ Here, the teen stopped.

“What happened next?” The Doctor coaxed gently, wary of the ending.

“The healer I had brought to see him told me that only magic could save him now, and that I needed to get him to a sacred lake to heal him. It was a few days travel from where we were, and unfortunately, a few days travel was all we had. We left immediately, but- it was still there, the tension between us. During the journey, I had to use magic several times to keep us alive and moving. With time, he grew less wary of it, and started to ask more and more questions- difficult as they were- instead of stewing in silent anger. I couldn’t blame him for being so cautious and distrustful towards magic, to be honest. The bad side is all he’s ever seen.”

“With his father banning it and killing many, creating a multitude of enemies for it.” The Doctor nodded in understanding.

“Not only that, but magic took away both of his parents- as well as his sister.” Jethro added. “But then, towards the end- he told me that he didn’t want me to change.” Jethro laughed, eyes brimming with moisture. “That he wanted me to just be me. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew time was running out, so I pushed on. I did everything I could to save him- I had to do whatever possible to keep him alive. I couldn’t lose him, Doctor, I just couldn’t.”

“…Because you loved him.”

It was clear as day to the Doctor, with how Jethro spoke so fondly of the man, and how distraught he was, and the look in his eyes told him everything words could not.

“Because I loved him.” Jethro nodded after a moment’s pause. “But I lost him. And he died in my arms.” There was another small pause before Jethro added, “Today is the anniversary of his death.”

“I’m so sorry.” The Doctor frowned, always hating the inevitable outcome of such stories. When Jethro pursed his lips, deep in thought, the time-lord pressed on. “There’s more?” He guessed.

“Well, yes, but…”

“What is it?”

“I can’t help but remember his last words to me.” Jethro explained, gaze far away. “They just… Don’t make sense.”

“How so?”

“He said he was going to tell me something that he’d never told me before, and then he said ‘thank you’.”

“He’s never thanked you _once_ in his life?”

“That’s the thing, Doctor. He’s told me those particular words hundreds of times before- rare as they may be- but they were still there… And I can’t help but feel like…”

“He meant to say something else.”  The time-lord finished for the struggling teenager, who looked up at him and nodded in agreement.

“I just wish I knew what.” Jethro murmured.

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor said once more.

“It’s quite alright,” Jethro replied, though still frowning, “Because apparently he’s supposed to rise again when Albion’s need is greatest.”

“What?”

“That’s what I said, too.”

“That’s just-” But it sounded familiar to the time-lord somehow.

“I know.”  Jethro nodded, “But Kilgharrah tends to be right about these things, so-”

“Kilgharrah?” The Doctor echoed, only now realizing that this was the first real name Jethro had used while they were here.

“The Great Dragon.”

“A dragon.” The time-lord’s voice returned to its previous level of skepticism.

“Yes- always speaks in circles, has a snarky attitude, usually pretty knowledgeable, and knows a great deal about destinies.” Jethro helpfully informed him. The Doctor was speechless while the teenager began to grin at him, delighted at his current state, before Jethro’s gaze turned assessing and then the boy nodded to himself. “Alright. It looks like you’ve calmed down enough to keep the bond stable. Let’s talk about what’s going on in the cabin. I’ll answer as many questions as I can.”

“Stable-cabin- _what?!_ ” The Doctor sputtered, taken completely off guard with the abrupt change in topic. 

“Let me rephrase- I’ll answer as many _comprehensible_ questions as I can.” Jethro corrected himself, slightly cheeky. The time-lord took a moment to gain his bearings before taking a deep breath, gaze sweeping over the landscape.

“Where are we?”

“Still in the cabin with the others.” Jethro replied easily, as though it was part of an everyday conversation.

“So where is this? In our heads?” The Doctor guessed.

“Somewhere in-between. We’ve met in the middle through a bond using my magic. We didn’t talk about all of this right away because you needed to calm down- otherwise the bond would’ve been too unstable, and we wouldn’t have been able to communicate.” The boy tried to explain.

“Thank goodness for that.” The time-lord sighed in relief, only now remembering how thankful he was to be in control of his own actions again. “Can the bond be broken from the outside?”

“Yes.”

“Then why hasn’t it?”

“Time passes differently in here than in reality.” Jethro informed him. “I’m fairly certain we’ll have time to really _talk_ , but as to how much, I’m afraid I don’t know.” The time-lord let the information turn over in his head for a moment before letting his mind wander back to the events in the dreaded cabin.

“Before, when it was just you and Sky in the front of the cabin, she couldn’t speak at the same time you did. Why is that? What language did you use? I’ve never heard anything like it.” The Doctor asked the first thing that popped up into his mind, something that had been eating away at his curiosity now that he let it.

“It was the tongue of the dragon. Only Dragonlords can use it. Seeing as I am the last of them, I guessed that she couldn’t repeat it with me in perfect time. I was right. Aithusa- it means ‘light of the sun’.” The time-lord mulled over this for a moment before moving on, deciding to ask about dragons and Dragonlords later.

“What made you trust me Jethro, back in the crusader? I have to admit it to myself; my story did seem a little… superficial.” The teen just grinned back at him.

“In all of my years, I’ve heard the title ‘The Doctor’ being thrown around a lot, usually in grand stories and myths, saving lives everywhere he goes. I’ve learned a little bit about you, and when I met you here, I didn’t really believe it was you. But then, when you were being bombarded by the others, and you responded with ‘Because I’m clever’, I knew it had to be. No normal human being would try something like that. So I trusted you.” The time-lord sighed in half-exasperation and half-incredulity.

“Well, I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been thrown out a long time ago.” They both winced at the reminder of their hazardous situation before the Doctor stopped, frowning. ‘ _In all of my years,’ “_ Jethro… Exactly how old are you?” At this, the boy turned away with a carefully blank face.

There was an extensive moment of silence before he responded.

“I’ve stopped counting after a thousand.” Jethro answered with a flat tone. The time-lord sucked in a startled breath. This boy, no- _being,_ was even older than he was! 

“But Val and Biff-” The Doctor started in confusion, but Jethro was already shaking his head.

“Adoptive parents. I got into some trouble with the authorities a few years ago, and this was the less problematic outcome.”

“Alright.” Though the time-lord really wasn’t sure he was, but his brain reminded him that they were on a time limit, and they had priorities. The Doctor could ask away to his heart’s content and satisfy his burning curiosity _after_ they got out of this mess. “So I guess the question is what we do next.”

“I didn’t want to use my magic before.” Jethro started, frowning. “I figured that if they saw even more things they couldn’t explain, the hysteria would only worsen.”

“You were right to hold back, Jethro.” The Doctor assured him, grimacing at the thought of the cabin getting worse than it already was. “I wouldn’t use your magic just yet unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”

“Doctor, what is that thing inside of Mrs. Silvestry? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Jethro frowned, disturbed at the memory of cold, ever analyzing eyes boring into his own.

“Neither have I.” The time-lord shook his head. “I don’t know what it is. That’s a first- well, it doesn’t happen often, at least.”

“So, how do we stop this before someone else dies?”

“We’ve got to find a way to calm everyone down and restrain Sky before she does anything rash. That creature is malicious, but that doesn’t mean it has to die.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Jethro shook his head in agreement. It was a moment before he continued. “I swear to you I won’t let them throw you out of the cabin. I won’t let them kill anyone.” He promised to the time-lord. “And I’ll find a way to stop Mrs. Silvestry and release you from her hold.”

“So I’ll revert back to my previous state?” The Doctor asked glumly. “Unable to move and forced to repeat whatever she says?”

“I think I can make you stop repeating her,” Jethro frowned thoughtfully, “But as for now, unfortunately, yes, you will. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” The Doctor shook his head.

Jethro opened his mouth to tell him something, but before he could get the words out, both of them were ripped away and slammed back into reality. The time-lord felt the familiar stiffness in his body that prevented him from moving after he somewhat regained his wits, and found that he had been turned around to see the rest of the cabin, where Biff was currently dragging Jethro away from him, practically kicking and screaming.

So their time was up, then.

“Jethro, have you lost your mind?! What were you thinking?!” Jethro’s mother- no, Val, scolded the boy harshly, shooting the Doctor a cold look.

“Let go of me!” Jethro shouted once more before finally breaking free of Biff’s hold, stumbling back in the time-lord’s direction.  The time-lord watched the boy (Man? Elder?) brace himself, challenging anyone to come forward and try something with his posture alone.

“Young man, you would be wise to stay away from that man- he’s dangerous.” The Professor scolded the not-so-teenager. “Whatever was inside of Mrs. Silvestry is in him now, and-”

“No, it’s not.” Jethro cut in sharply, voice unwavering, glaring at the professional.

“Oh don’t be stupid, Jethro- we all _saw_ -” Val’s biting words were interrupted once again.

“You saw nothing.” Jethro declared, turning his glare to her. “You’re just making harmful accusations to make sense of the situation-accusations that could end someone’s life.”

“Sit down and shut up, _boy_ ,” Biff hissed loudly, “Before-”

“I know it’s still in you.” Jethro said to Sky, ignoring the furious man completely. “I know that you’re manipulating the Doctor- that he’s got no control over his actions. Let him go.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?! You’ve got no right to say things like that!” The Professor said, frustration rising once more, but they could see he was startled by what the boy had said, before briefly glancing over at the time-lord, who did his best to send the teacher a not-threatening-but-so-completely- _done_ -with-your-nonsense kind of glare.

“I have no idea-” Sky began to say before cutting herself off in what seemed to be shock, eyes snapping over towards the Doctor as relief flooded his veins again.

Because like Jethro had told him, he wasn’t repeating what Sky had said anymore.

Now if only he could move and _talk_ , the situation would have been much better.

One thing at a time, he supposed.

“Look at that- did you see?” Deedee spoke up, pointing towards the time-lord. “He didn’t repeat her that time!”

“Of course he did!” Biff snapped at her harshly. “Haven’t we heard enough of you already?!”

“Let. Him. Go.” Jethro demanded in a quiet tone of voice that could instantly be recognized as menacing, still focused on the woman in front of him and disregarding all of the others. Sky returned her gaze to the boy, and they stared at each other in silence, the other passengers shuffling away from their confrontation unsurely.

“Leave her alone!” Val ordered loudly. “She’s been through enough already, and she’s finally free of it! It’s in the Doctor now!”

The two locked in the non-verbal standoff ignored her words completely.

“I’m willing to help you, just like he was.” Jethro started again after a tense minute. “We can all get out of this _alive-_ no one else has to die _._ There can be a compromise, I promise you.” He swore earnestly, eyes still locked with the silent Sky. “Just let him go.”

“But it’s not her!”

The Doctor felt dread pool at the bottom of his stomach the longer he studied Sky. Her gaze was unwavering as she stared straight into Jethro’s eyes, her face blank, and she wasn’t using her words anymore. Something was wrong. The time-lord felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up, and at that moment, he knew.

Jethro was in trouble.

The Doctor began struggling again as Jethro spoke once more, desperate to open his mouth- to shout out a warning towards the boy before it was too late-

“We can negotiate this peacefully, and I can ensure your safety.” The dark-haired not-so-teenager assured again, “Just please-”

An ominous chill swept through the cabin when Jethro abruptly fell silent.

A slow smile spread across Sky’s lips.

“I assure you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She replied calmly, and the Doctor was startled to find that he felt the pressing urge to copy her once again. He managed to push it down (just barely) and his horror only grew when he saw that Jethro had started shaking.

He knew it was over when the boy collapsed only a moment after that, still shaking on the floor of the cabin. The cabin’s human occupants shrieked in unison as he fell.

“Jethro?! What happened- what’s going on?!” Val demanded to know, showing her concerned, motherly side once more.

“He got inside his head.” Sky reverted to her calm-demeanor and falsely kind smile immediately.

“He got inside his head.” The Doctor internally cursed with every Gallifreyan swear he knew after his mouth moved on its own accord.     

“He’s inside all of our heads.”

“He’s inside all of our heads.”

“Whispering.”

“Whispering.”

“Listen.” Sky whispered into the quiet of the cabin, spiking the paranoia levels up to an all-time high.

“Listen.”

“Just listen.”

“Just listen.”

“That’s him.”

“That’s him.”

“Inside.”

“Inside.” Honestly, the Doctor was surprised no one had called Sky out on such words- why would a scared, normal, _recently freed_ person say such things and act like they had all of the control in the cabin?

“Don't let him whisper, shut him up, shut him up, get him out of my head!” Val fell for the bait and clutched her head, yelling out in a vicious terror.

“Throw him out. Yeah, we should throw him out!” Biff rumbling bellow echoed in agreement.

“Well don't just talk about it! Don't be so useless! Do something!” Val ordered loudly, voice still filled with trepidation.

“I will! You watch me- I’m gonna throw him out!” Biff declared, stomping towards the time-lord, but hesitating when he finally reached the alien.

“Yes.” Sky encouraged with a conceited smile.

“Yes.” The Doctor repeated against his own will, terror filling him up once more.

“Throw him out!” Sky ordered, smile never faltering.

“Throw him out!”

“Get rid of him!”

“Get rid of him!”

“Now!”

“Now!” Those were all the words Biff needed to steel his confidence and reached down to wrap his arms around the time-lord.

“Don’t!” Deedee cried out, hysterical.

“It’ll be you next!” Val threatened the poor girl maliciously. Biff began dragging the Doctor down the aisle, though with some difficulty.

“I don’t think we should do this!” The hostess protested, shoving her way towards them.

“It was your idea!” Biff shot back, faltering to readjust his grip on the time-lord. The hostess retreated into a row in defeat, getting out of the way for them. Biff turned the Doctor around so that he could drag him more easily, but he still saw he was having trouble lugging the completely boneless time-lord to the back door. “Professor, help me!”

“I-I can’t,” The Professor stammered, very unsure of himself, “I’m not-”

“What kind of a man are you?! Come on!” Biff roared at the elderly teacher.

“Throw him out!” Val shouted.

“Come on!”

“Just do it! Throw him out!” The time-lord still fought against his invisible chains as much as he could, especially when he felt the Professor coming towards him.

He only felt slightly victorious when he managed to twitch his foot in the other direction so that it snagged onto one of the chairs.

“Professor, help me!”

“Get him out!”

“Grab hold of him!” Biff ordered. The older man wrapped his hands around the Doctor’s arms, poorly attempting to aide Biff. “-Not like that! Are you stupid?!”

“Cast him out.” Sky spoke up once again.

“Cast him out.”

“Into the sun.”

“Into the sun.”

“Throw him out- I want him out!”

“Just grab hold of him! Come on!” 

“And the night.”

“And the night.”

“Throw him out! Now!”

“Come on!”

“Get him out! _Get him out!_ ”

“Do it.”

“Do it.” The time-lord despaired to see that the Professor had found the source of their difficulties in hauling him away and pulled his foot out from the seat. This, combined with Biff’s incessant pulling, reeled the Doctor around and mushed his face against another seat.

“Now.”

“Now.”

“Faster.”

“Faster.”

“Just do it!”

“Come on!”

“That’s the way.”

“That’s the way.”

“You can do it!”

“You can do it!” They successfully turned him away from the seat and continued pulling him towards the fire exit, but now they were having trouble getting him around Jethro’s fallen, shaking form. 

“Molto bene!” Sky rejoiced as they inched the helpless time-lord further towards his doom.

“Molto bene!” The Doctor echoed, cursing her for her cruelty of using his own joyful words against him.

Two things happened at once.

First, the hostess’ head snapped up and stared at Sky in alarm, recognizing those words from before.

Second, a hand clamped around the Doctor’s ankle in a vice. At first, he thought it was the Professor adjusting his grip on the time-lord, but when his gaze flickered down, he saw it was a pale hand. The time-lord glanced at the struggling, shaking boy, who appeared to only have enough free-will for that movement alone at the moment.

“Throw him out!”

“Come on, pull harder!”

“I-I can’t, your boy-” The Professor stuttered under pressure again, his fingers trying to pry Jethro’s grip off of the Doctor. “H-he won’t let go!”

“He’s just a kid- try harder!”

“Throw him out! Now!”    

“Allonsy!” The hostess’ eyes went from Sky to the time-lord, tracking his voice.

“Allonsy!”

“That’s his voice.” She said quietly at first, almost to herself. The hostess then looked at Deedee and said louder, with more conviction, “That’s _his voice!”_ But Deedee was lost in the hysteria of the cabin, crying and covering her ears, shaking her head and backing away. “She’s taken his voice!”

“Get him out!”

“Just do something!”

“He’s too strong- I can’t!” The Professor protested.

“The starlight awaits.” Sky told them all gleefully, though no one but the hostess was listening anymore.

“The starlight awaits.”

“Just kick him or something! You’re a man- you’re stronger than he is!”

“Throw him out! Now! I want him out!”

“I can’t! He’s too strong!” The Professor reiterated to the married couple.

“The emptiness!”

“The emptiness!”

“Just do something!”

“I can’t make him let go-”

“Oh, throw them both out if you have to! Just get them _out! I want them out_!” Val yelled wickedly. The Doctor’s blood froze in horror at the woman’s words, unable to believe what he had just heard.

“Well come on, then! Drag him too!” Biff roared at the teacher, who was just as wide eyed as the time-lord. The Gallifreyan himself was still in disbelief. These two were the boy’s own guardians! They couldn’t just- to their own _son?!_

“The Midnight sky!”

“The Midnight sky!” The Doctor repeated, finally making eye contact with Jethro, who had managed to raise his head. The time-lord saw many things in the boy’s eyes, but the most prominent were anger, determination,

And fear.

Mostly fear.

“It’s her.” The hostess deduced quietly, starring at Sky. The blonde creature, having overheard the hostess, turned to her, the gleeful smile wiped off of her face.

“Throw them out!” Val droned on.

“Grab them and pull!”

“B-but-!”

“She’s taken his voice!” The hostess cried out in declaration, sweeping out of her row, past them all, and over to Sky, grabbing hold of her quickly. The Doctor watched in despair as the hostess dragged her over to the door formerly leading to the cockpit and slammed her hand against the glass over a large red button, breaking it. The cockpit door slid open suddenly, and everyone in the cabin save for the two in the doorway cringed away from the blinding light.

“No!” Sky screamed, unable to fight her way out of the hostess’ grip.

“One, two,” The brave hostess counted out-loud, tears beginning to cascade down her face.

“No!” The Doctor yelled, but for once, he really meant what he was forced to echo.

“Three, four,” Sky and the Doctor continued to scream, but the hostess would not let go. “Five, six!”

Sky’s screaming swelled up in volume, the loudest out of all of them, even the time-lord that was copying her, and suddenly the hostess and Sky were ripped out of the cabin, into the bright white light, their bodies beginning to disintegrate the farther away from the doorway they got. The rest of the cabin was only allowed to watch for another spilt second before the door slid closed, shielding them all from the harmful rays. They all recoiled in shock, Biff and the Professor dropping the Doctor to the ground. He panted, eyes locked on the door, body frozen in both shock and incredulity.

“It’s gone,” The time-lord breathed, still panting in exhaustion. Then, as if he had to tell the group of humans over and over again for them to believe it, he began his mantra. “It's gone, it's gone, it's gone, it's gone, it's gone…” His words slowly faded away into the air, and he was left staring up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to reign in his breath.

Everyone standing around him sunk into the seats nearest to them, breathing heavily at the trauma they had just experienced. The Professor clamped his hands together, face crumpled as if he was on the verge of weeping. Deedee wiped her tears away shakily; head down, ashamed of herself not being able to do _more_ but relieved that the monster was no longer with them _._ Biff was frozen in place, mouth open wide as he gulped down air, not looking up at any of the others, horrified of what he was about to do. Val just breathed in disbelief, her hands slightly shaking.

The Doctor pushed himself up slowly so he could sit, feeling immense joy that he had regained the ability to do so, but immediately felt guilt and remorse for what had happened. He remained on the ground, leaning back on one of the sides of the seats, and continued to just _breathe._

“I said it was her.” Val dared to say in the silence that had fallen on the cabin, dared to say to the man whose death she was shouting for. The Doctor mustered up the coldest, most intolerable glare he could produce and shot it at her, letting his eyes say what he wouldn’t out loud. Val ducked her head skittishly only a moment later, breaking eye contact with the time-lord. He let his gaze burn into her for a few more seconds before looking away, still breathing heavily. He let his eyes roam the cabin and its occupants before he took notice of the person who had yet to rise.

“Jethro?” The Doctor quietly called, taking in the fact that the boy was still face down next to him. Upon hearing the almost inaudible noise of ripping material, the Doctor grew alarmed. He looked up quickly to see that the seats’ leather around them was slowly getting ripped apart.

Then he noticed Jethro was still shaking and pulled the boy up with all the strength he had left, catching a small glimpse of golden eyes. The time-lord wrapped his arms around the boy and tugged him closer, pressing him to his side. The Doctor was thankful that no one else but him seemed to notice the quiet destruction of the crusader’s seats, and sighed in relief when it stopped seconds later.  

It only took a moment more before Jethro began softly sobbing into his shoulder, hiding away from the rest of the cabin. The time-lord gently rocked him back and forth, rubbing small circles into the boy’s back. Val began to stir in protest, but the return of the Doctor’s last exchanged look with her had the woman settling down in defeat.

“I can’t save _anyone,_ can I?” Jethro asked the Doctor in a broken whisper, voice cracking. “What good am I? What good will I be?” The ‘ _to him’_ was unspoken, and yet the Gallifreyan man heard it anyway.

“Shh, Jethro.” The time-lord murmured quietly, continuing his small, comforting gestures, “It’s not your fault.” The boy started to protest, but the Doctor hushed him quickly, letting Jethro cry himself out into exhaustion.  “It’s not your fault.” The time-lord repeated, though this time, he felt it was for his own reassurance as well. “Not your fault…”

_20 Minutes Later_

“Repeat, Crusader 50, rescue vehicle coming alongside in three minutes, door-seals set to automatic. Prepare for boarding, repeat, prepare for boarding.” A voice over the intercom droned on for the passengers in the cabin.

Not much had changed in the small crusader, other than the fact that most everyone had returned to the seats, sitting as far away from one another as possible.  The only people that were the exception to this were the Doctor and Jethro, who remained sitting on the floor, the boy still tucked into the time-lord’s side.

The long-standing, uneasy quiet was finally broken by the Doctor’s weary voice.

“The Hostess,” The time-lord began, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Only a few heads actually turned to see him- the others were far too shamed. “What was her name?”

There was a brief silence as the Doctor’s looked over them all, searching for an answer. He mostly received frowns and head shakes. It was the Professor that verbally replied, answering with the fact that no one wanted to hear due to its cruel irony.

“I don’t know.” The Professor said, voice and gaze distant, somewhere far away from the cabin.

The time-lord bowed his head.

 

* * *

 

 

“What do you think it was?” Donna asked quietly, some time later, after they had been reunited and the time-lord relayed to her what had happened. The Doctor-and-Donna duo sat at a small table next to the sparkling blue waters of the Leisure Palace’s grand pool.

“No idea.” The Gallifreyan alien shook his head minutely, racking his brain for some sort of answer but finding none.

“Do you think it’s still out there?” Donna asked again in concern, worried for the safety of the others on the planet.

The Doctor met her eyes for a moment before looking away, revealing nothing.

“You better tell them, this lot.” She told him quietly, trying not to push the man.

“Yeah.” The time-lord replied after a minute, “They can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turning round an X-tonic star.” He said before adding, “In silence.” With the slight grit of his teeth.

“I can’t imagine you without a voice.” Donna tells him earnestly, smiling gently. The Doctor tries to smile in return, but in ends up looking more like a smirk.

“Molto bene.”

“Molto bene.” Donna repeated after him unthinkingly, smiling a little easier with the knowledge that the Doctor was returning to his old antics.

“No, don’t do that.” The Doctor tells her, his eyebrows furrowing, disturbed with the sickening recollection. Donna looked away, suddenly remembering, “Don’t.”

They sat in silence until Donna’s eyes darted over the Doctor’s shoulder, tilting her head in question. The time-lord turned his head, following her gaze half-curious, half-wary.

He stood at the sight of the familiar figure.

As they blinked at each other wordlessly, the Doctor’s mind flashed back to how they parted, a little over an hour ago. They exchanged a firm handshake once stepping off of the rescue unit while everyone started to depart, heading off in different directions. The Doctor smiled at still red rimmed eyes shakily, and received an identical smile in return before they nodded and parted ways, the boy’s guardians calling for him. 

“Jethro.” The Doctor said in acknowledgement. Donna perked up, remembering the name from the Doctor’s story. Jethro blinked back at him for another moment before replying.

“I’m sorry.” Were the first words out of his mouth, but before the time-lord could protest, the boy inclined his head at the table behind him, towards Donna, and the Doctor understood.

“You weren’t interrupting.” The Gallifreyan shook his head and left it at that.

“…You mentioned you were a traveler.” Jethro said after a long while, hesitating.

“I am.” The time-lord nodded, prompting the boy to continue. Donna watched the two warily, frowning in sympathy.

“I was wondering…” Jethro trailed off, suddenly looking at his shoes and shuffling in place nervously, “If you could take me… home.” He explained finally, the last word sounding as if it took a great amount of effort to say, even to Donna’s ears. 

“Where is home, Jethro?” The Doctor asked gently, cocking his head to the side.

“Earth,” The boy sighed, “… I believe it’s still called the United Kingdom.”

“And your guardians?” The time-lord couldn’t help but ask.

“Taken care of.” Jethro assured with a small nod of his head. A slow smile spread over the Gallifreyan’s features as he replied.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

 

* * *

 

“So you’re really not a teenager?” Donna asked Jethro as the three of them trailed along the familiar shoreline of a lake that more-or-less hadn’t changed.

“No,” Jethro shook his head, grinning, “I haven’t been for a long time, now.”

“Bloody hell!” Donna exclaimed in surprise, “You have got to tell me what moisturizer you use! You don’t look a day over eighteen!” The boy’s grin turned bashful and the Doctor chuckled, remembering that he had initially thought the same thing. “And you can really do magic? Like Harry Potter?”

“I can really do magic, Donna.” Jethro smiled back, almost laughing before he stopped and tilted his head. “But not like Harry Potter- I don’t use wands or broomsticks.”  

“Can you show me?” She asked easily, “Nothing too big- maybe something small?” She added hopefully. The time-lord straightened in curiosity, turning his gaze towards Jethro, eager to see the magic that the boy had told him about (well, to see it again- this time hopefully less destructive).

Jethro frowned thoughtfully before nodding. He swept his eyes across the sand in front of them, and with a golden glow, the sand began drawing patterns onto itself. The Doctor and Donna gasped in delight as the lines began to make out pictures such as castles, family crests, stickmen, swords, and then most predominantly, dragons. They watched with child-like wonder as the pictures began to move and interact with one another. It was another minute before the figures froze, and then the lake water swept up, wiping the sand canvas clean.

“Okay, now I’m convinced.” Donna admitted with a carefree laugh, making the others join in with her. “But you can’t expect me to believe that there were actually _dragons,_ can you?”

“There were.” Jethro nodded, before his lips pressed into a line. “But in my time, there were only two left- Kilgharrah and Aithusa.”

“Aithusa…” The Doctor murmured, remembering the word quickly, “The light of the sun.”

“Yes,” Jethro grinned at him, “And a rare white dragon. I was there when he hatched.” He smiled fondly.

“And Kilgharrah- the one who speaks in circles.” The time-lord added.

“The snarkiest of them all.” Jethro nodded, smirking.

“Oh, you can’t be serious.” Donna deadpanned, skeptical.

“Completely serious.”

“A snarky dragon?”

“One who was fond of saying things without actually _saying things.”_ Jethro nodded.

“Jethro, I can’t- no, that’s just.” Donna stopped, trying to get words to form what she was thinking. The Doctor, on the other hand, suddenly paused, frowning deeply.

“Jethro.”

“Yes, Doctor?”

“You’re name isn’t really Jethro, is it?” The boy’s step faltered only slightly before smiling again.

“No Doctor, it isn’t.” He replied honestly, shaking his head.

“What is it, then?” Donna asked curiously, turning her head to the dark-haired boy as they strolled.

“People have called me many things,” He begins cryptically, looking away once again and sweeping his gaze over the lake. “But my real name, the one my mother gave to me, is-”

And then the boy stopped.

He stopped walking, stopped breathing, even stopped blinking- and just stood very still, an indecipherable expression painted on his face. The time-lord and his human companion stopped next to him, studying him in confusion before they followed his line of sight further up the shoreline. 

What waited for them at the end of their gaze was a man.

His back was angled towards the trio and he stared out at the lake’s murky waters. From what they could see, the man had a strong build, broad shoulders, a head of golden blonde hair, and wore a simple red jumper with dark jeans. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets, and the Doctor watched as the man sighed in a way that made his whole body sag with the exhale of breath, immediately reminded of how Jethro had sighed the _exact same way_ when they had first met. 

“Jethro? What’s the matter? Are you alright?” Donna asked in concern, confusion written all over her face as her gaze flicked back and forth between the dark-haired man next to her and the fair-haired man on the shore. At the sound of her voice, the blonde man spun around, startled out of whatever daze he was in.

Jethro’s eyes opened impossibly wide and the blonde man with striking blue eyes and a strong jaw-line adopted the same awe-struck expression, freezing completely.

It was quite possibly the longest minute of silence that the Doctor had ever endured in his entire lifetime before anyone spoke.

“…Merlin?” The strange man asked hesitantly, body taut with tension, as if the wrong answer would shatter him. Jethro gasped in a quick, silent breath in shock.

“Arthur?” Jethro- or rather, Merlin- rasped back in complete disbelief. Arthur let out a relieved breath that sounded like a laugh and a sob mixed into one, his muscles going slack.

“Merlin.” Arthur said out loud once more, confirming the fact for himself. Merlin’s eyes rapidly filled with tears in response.

“Arthur!” They both took unsteady steps towards each other before they were outright running, barreling into one another and knocking each other into the lake water in their haste. Donna squawked in surprise, but before the Doctor and his companion could worry about the two being underwater for too long, Arthur emerged, carrying Merlin in his embrace while Merlin’s legs were wrapped around his waist, both of them refusing to let go of one another. Their grins were as blinding as the sun and they giggled childishly as they nuzzled into each other.

It was about a minute more of total bliss before the bickering started.

“ _Mer_ lin, you idiot! Now we’re all wet!”

“Arthur, I haven’t seen you in more than a thousand years and _that_ is the first thing you say to me?!”

“Well it’s true.”

“Good to know you haven’t changed after all of this time, you royal prat.”

“Oh, you love me just the way I am.” And then Merlin stopped, lifting his head just enough to look at Arthur.

“Yeah, I do.” Merlin replied softly, eyes speaking volumes. “I really, really do.” Arthur just smiled at him affectionately, his cheeks coloring slightly. “Before…” Merlin started again, this time slightly hesitant. “Back when… Did you mean-” Arthur rolled his eyes before leaning forward and ridding themselves of the space between them. He spared a moment to look into Merlin’s eyes, making him _see_ , before closing the distance and pressing his lips to the sorcerer’s. It was a warm, chastise kiss that spoke of promises and passion- filled with so much pure, unadulterated _love_ that it knocked the breath out of both of them. They parted, panting and smiling at one another.

“Of course I did, you idiot.” Arthur replied needlessly- that much was already shown, but hearing the words out-loud made Merlin light up like a thousand stars.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was having a miniature episode, unnoticed to all until he finally spoke up.

“Oh, no way.” He said breathlessly, voice full of wonder and amazement. Arthur, Merlin, and Donna turned their heads to him, two of the three forgetting he was even there. “No way.” The Doctor repeated as comprehension filled his entire being.

“Doctor? What is it?” Donna asked, curious as to what had the man sounding like that. To her knowledge, this was just an emotional reunion between two lovers.

“Donna, don’t you see?!” The time-lord started excitedly, “Do you realize who these two _are?_ ” At this, Merlin’s lips curled into a sly grin, and Arthur looked between the two of them almost apprehensively.

“Arthur and Merlin.” Donna replied easily, confused as to where the Doctor was going with this. She turned to the happy couple with a warm smile. “I’m Donna, by the way, and that’s that Doctor.” She introduced for the new member of their group.

“Nice to meet you,” Arthur nodded politely, still wary of the two newcomers.

“They are Arthur and Merlin! _The_ Arthur and Merlin!” The Doctor explained, voice animated, “King Arthur and his sorcerer Merlin!”

“What- you mean like the myths?” Donna asked, cocking an eyebrow skeptically.

“Exactly like the myths!” The Doctor nodded enthusiastically before giving the couple a once-over, “Well, not _exactly_ like the myths, but yes! Oh, it all makes sense now!” The time-lord berated himself, running his hands through his hair as he recalled the story Merlin had told him before and why it sounded so familiar.

“I don’t remember anywhere in the myths saying that they were so madly in love with each other,” Donna commented with a sly smile of her own, making the legendary pair blush. “Then again, the stories said Merlin was an old man too, and yet here we are.”

“I don’t understand where that part came from,” Merlin pouted, and Arthur barely resisted the urge to kiss him senseless. Instead, he grinned fondly at the man in his arms. “I was only an old man a couple of times while Arthur was there.” At this, Arthur’s grin was wiped off of his face.

“You…” He trailed, realization creeping into his tone. “You were _Dragoon_ , weren’t you?!”

“Well, who else would I be?” Merlin asked, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

“All this time-?! Merlin! I could’ve killed you!” Arthur exclaimed, sounding horrified and worried.

“But you didn’t.” The sorcerer sounded casual, as if the threat on his life was a common thing.

“But I _could’ve!”_

“But you didn’t.” Merlin repeated once more.  Arthur narrowed his eyes at the warlock steadily before he sighed, deciding to let it go for now.

“Get off,” Arthur said instead, “You’re a lot heavier than you look.” Merlin frowned at him, but obediently unhooked his legs from around the King’s waist and let them fall to the ground. Neither one of them unwound their arms from around each other, however.

“Prat.”

“Idiot.”

“Dollop head!”

“Clot-pole!”

“Hey! Clot-pole is my word.”

“I’m a King, _Mer_ lin. I can use any words I want.”

“Oh, you two are _adorable.”_ Donna nearly cooed, shaking the couple back from their own little world.

“Well, this is exciting, isn’t it?” The Doctor mused, “Meeting the actual once and future King and the greatest sorcerer of all time. I don’t think I’ll have anything to top that for a long while.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Merlin told the Doctor with a confident smile before it turned grateful. “Doctor, I can’t thank you enough.”

“It was nothing, Merlin,” The Doctor denied with a shake of his head, “Absolutely nothing. In fact, it was an honor, if I do say so myself.”

“And it was an honor finally meeting you as well.” Merlin grinned back at him.

“Oh stop it, both of you.” Donna almost laughed, “You both are happy to have met each other, we get it.”

“Doctor,” Arthur began hesitantly, stepping forward slightly, but not out of Merlin’s arms. “Thank you… for bringing him back to me.” He explained earnestly.

“It wasn’t me- not really.” The Doctor dismissed easily, internally freaking out that _King Arthur_ had just thanked him for something, “Merlin wanted to come home all by himself, isn’t that right, Merlin?”

“I wouldn’t have gotten here so quickly by myself.” Merlin shook his head. “So thank you.”

“Alright, enough with the thanking already.” Donna shook her head fondly at them all. “Let’s just except that you’re thankful for having been reunited, and we’re thankful for having met you two.”

“I think that sounds fair.” The Doctor agreed, and the other two nodded. They spent a moment all grinning at each other before the time-lord sighed. “Well, I think it’s about time we get going.” He said to Donna with a meaningful look, not forgetting how the two boys were still completely wrapped up in one another and had to spend some time reconciling. Donna caught on quickly.

“Oh yes!” She exclaimed, agreeing enthusiastically. “We do have to get back to Midnight and shut down the Leisure Palace, after all.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” Merlin grimaced at the reminder, nodding along.

“What happened at the Leisure Palace?” Arthur asked warily after taking in the expression on his sorcerer’s face, not liking what he found.

“Nothing.” The Dragonlord replied immediately.

“Merlin.”

“You guys will visit again soon, right?” Merlin asked, avoiding the question from his king. “We’d love to see you again.”

“We really would.” Arthur nodded before turning to the man in his arms, “Don’t think you’re getting out of that.”

“Of course we will!” Donna assured quickly before the couple could start bickering once again, “We can go out for coffee. Isn’t that right, Doctor?” She asked, turning towards the time lord.

“Hmm? Oh yes, definitely!”  The Doctor grinned, “Sorry, I can’t get enough of you two.” He added, both fond and still amazed. “Well, we best be off. It was nice meeting you, King Arthur and Merlin.” The time-lord shook both of their hands, Donna following the gesture after him.

“Really nice.” Donna added, grinning along with the Doctor, “Lovely.”

“It was nice meeting you two as well.” Arthur nodded.

“Visit us soon, alright?” Merlin added with a bright smile.

“We will.” The Doctor assured, beginning to drag Donna off back towards the TARDIS. “Until then!” He called back, noticing the two had pressed closer together, waving goodbye before grinning at each other, expressions totally besotted.

“And when is ‘soon’ for us, Doctor?” Donna asked, stepping in through the TARDIS doors.

“Oh, about five minutes, maybe less.” The Doctor frowned thoughtfully, approaching the console after closing the doors behind him.

“And for them?”

“Let’s find out, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

“I still don’t understand why I’m back.” Arthur sipped at his cup, glancing around their surroundings, “It’s been six months, and it’s not like the world is falling apart around us or anything.”

“I’m just glad you’re back.” Merlin pressing into Arthur’s side, frowning slightly, “But you’re right. It is a little strange.”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.” Donna assured the two, “You’ll cross that bridge when you get there- or what not. Anyway, you were saying something about a troll?”

“Ah, yes!” Merlin agreed, beaming at the red head, “I tried to tell him that she was a troll, but he didn’t believe me. Sure enough, a few days later, his father gets remarried and he has a new troll step-mother.”

“That sounds… interesting.” The Doctor commented, listening to the story with the interest of both a friend and a historian. “How did this get fixed?”

“They had to kill me.” Arthur shrugged casually, receiving alarmed looks from the time travelers. “Only for a few minutes, though. It was a potion to make it seem that I had died.” He continued quickly.

“The only way to break the enchantment the troll had put on his father was to make his father cry.” Merlin nodded with the memory. “That was the only way we could think of, really.”

“To be honest, I’m still surprised it worked.” Arthur frowned, remembering the scene.

”Oh, come on, he couldn’t of been that bad.” The Doctor replied optimistically.

“He was.” Arthur and Merlin deadpanned, mirroring each other’s flat looks.

 

* * *

 

The door swung open and Arthur stared at the man in the bowtie suspiciously.

“Can I… help you?” Arthur asked the slightly goofy looking man who had knocked on his door.

“Hello again, Arthur! I just thought I’d drop by to check in, see how everything is going.” The man in the bowtie grinned at the blonde.

“Do I know you?” Arthur frowned at him, racking his brain for a memory of the person in front of him.

“Well, actually-”

“Arthur, who’s at the door?” A voice from inside the flat sounded before a raven haired head appeared over the blonde’s shoulder. There was a moment of silence as the other man took the new comer in. “Oh, hello Doctor. Still not ginger, I see.” Merlin greeted the man with a smile.

“Not yet, no.” The Doctor grinned back at the warlock.

“Wait, Doctor?!” Arthur asked in confusion, looking between the two men.

“He regenerated. Honestly Arthur, he explained this to us before.” Merlin sighed before turning around and roaming back into their flat. “I’ll put a kettle on.”

“I’m sorry _Mer_ lin, but not all of us can be magic and know who someone is just by looking at them- _especially if they had changed faces!”_ Arthur retorted, going after his sorcerer and leaving the door wide open for the other man.

The Doctor just chuckled at the couple’s usual antics and let himself in.

 

* * *

 

“Amy, Rory, hurry up! We’ll be late! We can’t be late to _King Arthur and Merlin’s_ wedding!” The Doctor called up the stairs of the TARDIS, waiting impatiently for the couple as he fixed the cuffs on his suit.

 “You were late to ours!” Amy called back, her head popping out at the top to look down at the Doctor in exasperation. Rory joined her a moment later and matched her look at the time-lord.

“Now, that was entirely not my fault, and you know it!” The Doctor defended himself before gesturing for the two to come down the stairs quickly. “Come on, they’re waiting! You know how Merlin gets when he’s anxious!”

 

* * *

 

“Shakespeare isn’t all that brilliant.” Arthur shrugged at the woman with swirling blonde hair in front of him.

“Shakespeare was one of the greatest poets and playwrights of the western world and is widely known as the greatest writer in the English language!” River argued back, shaking her head at the king.

“He’s overrated.” Arthur drawled back, “Geoffrey could’ve written better than him. Hell, even Gwaine probably could’ve written better than him, especially when he was drunk enough. ”

“I highly doubt that.” River scoffed.

“Merlin! Tell her how Gwaine would’ve destroyed Shakespeare at writing about love!”

“I don’t think Gwaine was ever _that_ drunk.” Merlin shrugged, infinitely amused with the King at the moment. “Though to be honest, Shakespeare was a little… strange.” He recalled.

“He was, wasn’t he?” The Doctor agreed with a thoughtful frown.

“And greatest poet?! I think Lord Tennyson would fit that title better.” Arthur scoffed.

“Oh please, you only say that because some of his work reminds you of being an actual king.”  River retorted. “But I have to say, I’m partial to Pope, myself.”

 

* * *

 

“Arthur, duck!” Merlin called, raising his hand to blast down the hooded man behind the king.

“I hardly needed your help, _Mer_ lin.” Arthur frowned, turning towards the warlock and effortlessly cutting down another enemy coming at them. “I knew he was there.”

“Of course you did.” Merlin rolled his eyes, letting his magic deflect stray blaster shots that were coming towards them. “Is that why you had a dumbstruck expression on your face?”

“ _Dumbstruck expression?!”_ Arthur thundered in disbelief. “I’ll have you know-” Arthur abruptly stopped and wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist, spinning him out of the way as he batted away another hooded man with Excalibur. He looked down at the man in his arms and smiled smugly at his startled look. “There, now we’re even.” He said, swooping down and locking lips with the warlock. Merlin responded eagerly before pulling away.

“No, no, _focus._ We’re here to save Amy and the baby, remember?”

“I know- it’s just not that often that I catch you off guard like that anymore. I had to savor the moment somehow.” Arthur shrugged before swinging his prized sword and getting back to work, his powerful sorcerer by his side.

 

* * *

 

The Doctor knocked on their door a few days after losing Amy and Rory.

Merlin took one look at him before recognizing his grief and letting him inside without another word.

Together, the time-lord, warlock, and Once and Future King all sat on the couch in silence, sipping at their tea, taking the time to mourn for those that were left behind or lost, but never forgotten.

 

* * *

 

“To be honest, I think the Annals of Wales have got it right.” Arthur murmured, shoving aside several documents to reveal the one he was talking about. He showed the text to the Doctor. “I never carried a cross on my back for three days, but I believe the Battle of Camlann was around that time.”

“But with just one of its two entries about you wrong, it’s not very reliable. And you’re sure you didn’t lead anyone into a war when you were still prince, like how Nennius said?” The Doctor asked, pulling the corresponding information in front of them.

“I’m sure. But unless it was against a magic settlement, which I wouldn’t really call a war, there wasn’t such a fight. Despite the war on magic, there was peace between the kingdoms when my father ruled over Camelot.” Arthur replied thoughtfully, sifting through the multiple papers strewn about on the coffee table. Suddenly, a crash from the kitchen broke the time-lord and the king from their musings. “Is everything alright in there?” Arthur called warily.

“We’re fine!” Clara called back, a smile in her voice. “Merlin just got a little frustrated with the soufflé.”

“It shouldn’t sink down like that!” They heard Merlin grumble irritably.

“It’s fine- not everyone gets it on their first try.” Clara assured him. “It comes with practice. How about we make some cookies while we wait for it to set?” She suggested.

“Make them with chocolate chips!” Arthur called. “And _not_ raisins this time, Merlin. I don’t know if I can ever trust you again after that incident.”

“Oh, get over it.” Merlin retorted from the kitchen.

“What did he do?” The Doctor asked curiously.

“He gave me cookies with raisins in them and told me they were chocolate chips.” Arthur frowned.

“ _He didn’t.”_

“He did!”

 

* * *

 

It was after another regeneration that it happened.

Merlin and the Doctor sat at a bench on the shore of Avalon. Arthur was messing around with their kids, teenagers now, with Clara by the water.

“I found a grey hair today.” Merlin says suddenly, breaking their silence. The Doctor turned to him curiously. “Again. Mine. At first, I thought it was a fluke, but after a couple more times…” He trailed off, his gaze returning to his husband and their children playing in the water.

“I’m dying, Doctor.”

The words sent a cold chill sweeping through the time-lord’s body, and the inevitable feeling of grief washed over him at the thought, but he pushed them all away at the sight of Merlin’s watery smile, the tears of joy leaving the Doctor speechless.

“I’m really dying. I always thought I was immortal, but maybe I was just waiting for Arthur in more ways than one. Maybe this time,” Merlin looked over the lake again, “Maybe this time, I can die with him.”  

And the Doctor, not knowing what else to do, smiled warily.

“That’s wonderful, Merlin.”

 

* * *

 

 

Many years later, in a completely different era, the Doctor runs into two strange individuals while he is alone once more.

“Hello!” The dark haired one greeted him with a large smile, the blonde man standing in front of him protectively. “I’m Merlin, and this is Arthur. Don’t let him intimidate you; he’s actually pretty nice- even if he can be a prat most of the time.”

“Prat?!” Arthur rounded on the dark haired man in irritation. “Well at least I’m not an idiot!”

“Yeah? Well, you’re a dollophead!” Merlin snapped back.

“That’s not even a word!”

“It really is.”

“Oh really? Describe it, then.”

“In two words? Arthur Pendragon.”

“You’re such an idiot.” Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin in exasperation, though the Doctor could easily sense how fond of each other the two were.

And the time-lord could only smile.


End file.
